• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mexico In My Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
×
You are here: Home » Recipes » Mexican Soups

Alphabet Soup

Published: Apr 29, 2017 · Updated: Mar 11, 2021 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

This Alphabet Soup is really easy to prepare and is loved by everyone, young and old. I know it is a particular favorite with children since they like to play with their imagination and form words with all those letters floating in the bowl! At home, we still make this soup, even though we don’t have little ones anymore.

Alphabet Soup Recipe │Sopa de Letras

This is a Sponsored Post by IMUSA®,  I had been using their products at home for several years.

Alphabet Soup - Sopa de Letras

I know this is sentimental, but I like to make this soup in my IMUSA®  Blue Enamel pot since it reminds me of when I was a kid playing in the kitchen with grandma, as she always had a big blue enamel pot sitting on her wooden stove.

Later on, I found out that the blue enamel pot was a staple in many houses, and was used for things like tamales or even to make coffee like my grandma did. She would keep the pot of coffee next to the cooking hearth so it would be warm and ready to serve any unexpected visitors.

I use mine to make tamales, cook corn on the cob or for nixtamal, and to make batches of soup, like today’s alphabet soup. In case you’re wondering where you can get a nice enamel pot like this one, I got mine from IMUSA®. I own several of their products, from my espresso maker to my little egg frying pan. Their products are safe and easy for cooking.

Now let’s make some Alphabet Soup!

How to make Alphabet Soup Recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Notes:

  • Homemade chicken broth can be substituted for store-bought chicken broth or chicken bouillon mixed with water.
  • Some cooks like to add a sprig of cilantro to the soup while it is simmering the Alphabet soup (Sopa de Letras).
  • This soup freezes well.
Alphabet Soup Recipe - Receta de Sopa de Letras

DIRECTIONS:

  • Chop the tomato, onion, and garlic and place in your blender or food processor with one cup of the chicken broth. Process until the ingredients form a smooth sauce, then set aside.
Receta de Sopa de Letras
  •  Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the alphabet soup pasta and fry until slightly brown.
  • Pour in the tomato sauce using a strainer, bring to a boil, and cook.
  • Add the rest of the chicken broth, season with salt, place lid on the pot, and simmer for 8-10 more minutes. Check pasta for doneness. Remove promptly from the heat to avoid overcooking.
Alphabet Soup Recipe - Receta de Sopa de Letras
  • Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Mely Martínez,

Leave a comment and share your experience with the recipe.

If you are on Pinterest, check our boards with hundreds of delicious ideas I'm pinning for you! Or if you are on Instagram, check out the meals pictures or stories ideas.

More recipes:

Nopal Soup

Beef birria

Receta en Español Sopa de letras.

📖 Recipe

Alphabet Soup

Mely Martínez
This Alphabet Soup is really easy to prepare and is loved by everyone, young and old. I know it is a particular favorite with children since they like to play with their imagination and form words with all those letters floating in the bowl! 
4.67 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Soups
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6
Calories 465 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz. plum tomatoes
  • ¼ of a medium size white onion
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pkg. 7.5 oz. alphabet soup
  • 8 cups of chicken broth*
  • Salt to taste

OPTIONAL FOR GARNISH:

  • ½ avocado diced
  • ½ cup of Mexican Queso Fresco
  • Lime wedges
  • Mexican cream

Instructions
 

  • Chop the tomato, onion, and garlic and place in your blender or food processor with one cup of the chicken broth. Process until the ingredients form a smooth sauce, then set aside.
  • Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the alphabet soup pasta and fry until slightly brown (stir often to avoid burning the pasta). This step will take about 2 minutes.
  • Pour the tomato sauce using a strainer, bring to a boil, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the chicken broth, season with salt, place lid on the pot, and simmer for 8-10 more minutes. Check pasta for doneness (this pasta cooks really quick). Remove promptly from the heat to avoid overcooking.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Homemade chicken broth can be substituted for store-bought chicken broth or chicken bouillon mixed with water.
    • Some cooks like to add a sprig of cilantro to the soup while it is simmering the Alphabet soup (Sopa de Letras).
    • This soup freezes well.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bowlCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 57gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 381mgSodium: 1911mgPotassium: 1353mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 580IUVitamin C: 38.1mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 13.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Mexican Soups

    • Pasta soup with spinach
      Mexican Pasta Soup with Spinach
    • Bread Soup Recipe
      Bread Soup from Chiapas
    • squash vines & shoots soup
      Squash Vine and Shoots Soup
    • Potato soup recipe
      Mexican Potato Soup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply & Rating Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Jen

      August 25, 2022 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      This soup is incredible. I’ve made it MULTIPLE times, and eat until I’m beyond the point of full 😂. I like to save Parmesan rinds and drop them in the last stage of cooking for the extra touch of flavor. Thanks for sharing this!

      Reply
    2. Jessica

      April 23, 2019 at 8:42 am

      Hola. Im wondering how can I avoid the letters (or fideo) from absorbing all the water? Eh tratado de hacer esta sopa hirviéndola solamente y también como usted sugiera friéndola antes de agregar el agua y siempre me pasa que el fideo/letras se toman el líquido. Al final termino con una sopa seca, aún si le apague al fuego antes. I've seen my mom make it and she doesn't have my problem. What am I doing wrong? Gracias!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        April 23, 2019 at 9:50 am

        Hello Jessica,
        Follow this recipe to a 'T", and when you arrive at the part of simmering the soup, do not overcook. I used to have this same problem when making pasta soups when I was a newlywed. A neighbor was kind enough to show me the trick to avoid dry pasta. Cook the paste in very low heat, cover the pot where you are cooking the pasta soup, and as soon as you see that the paste is done, remove from the burner or heat immediately. You can make any pasta soup, including this alphabet soup that way.

        Reply
    3. Olga Lopez

      January 14, 2019 at 3:25 am

      5 stars
      Yum! Thank you for this recipe! It brings back memories of my dear tia Eva Garza (singer). She made it for me in 1965 when I was 5, and visiting her in Mexico. I've always wondered how she mad that delicious alphabet soup. Now I savor the delicious flavor with loving memories.

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        January 14, 2019 at 8:41 am

        Hola Olga,
        Thank you for sharing about your aunt Eva, I hope you make the soup and enjoy it!

        Reply
    4. Patricia J Cruz

      October 20, 2018 at 11:59 am

      I remember traveling to Monterrey, NL to visit my mother's clan. Tia Inez & Tia Blanca would always prepare sopita de fideo in small porcelain bowls. Mine always had the rooster, painted, in the center. 😊

      Reply
    5. Anonymous

      June 01, 2017 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      My kids love this!
      I sometimes add diced carrots, peas, celery, calabacitas to it! Yum!

      Vicky T

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    About me

    Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
    Read more...

    Order your copy now!

    Mexican Cookbook
    The Mexican Home Kitchen Cookbook

    Aguas Frescas

    • Two glasses with pitaya agua fresca next to fresh pitayas.
      Pitaya Agua Fresca
    • Two glasses with Mexican plum agua fresca.
      Mexican Plum Agua Fresca
    • Agua de tamarindo (Tamarind drink) served in a glass with ice.
      Agua de Tamarindo
    • Guava guayaba Drink
      Guava Agua Fresca Drink

    Recipes for tamales

    • Vegan tamales served in a platter
      Vegan Tamales
    • Beef Tamales recipe
      Homemade Beef Tamales Recipe
    • Chocolate Tamal recipe - 1
      Chocolate Tamales
    • Savory Sweet Corn Tamales -1
      Sweet Corn Tamales With Pork

    As featured in:

    Footer

    About

    ABOUT
    PRIVACY POLICY
    USER SERVICE AGREEMENT
    ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

    Newsletter

    SIGN UP FOR EMAILS AND UPDATES!

    Follow / Contact

    FACEBOOK
    INSTAGRAM
    PINTEREST
    CONTACT

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 · MEXICO IN MY KITCHEN