Easy Alphabet Veggie Soup

I hope you enjoy this recipe that was included in Veggie Buds Club's "Kids Love Veggie Soup" box this month! It was developed by the very talented Heather Staller.

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Heather is a mom of two boys, ages 4 and 2, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather_kidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

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Get kids involved in the kitchen- peeling carrots, adding veggies to the pot, and
stirring in those fun alphabet noodles with this veggie-packed, comforting soup.
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Ingredients
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-½ small onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
-1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
-1 stalk celery, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice
-¼ teaspoon Kosher or coarse sea salt, plus more to season
-1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 medium sized waxy potato (red or yellow skinned), cut into ¼-inch dice
-¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
-½ 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes (about ¾ cup)
-3 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
-Handful of green beans, trimmed and cut into small rounds
-½ cup frozen peas, frozen corn, or a combination of both
-½ cup alphabet shaped pasta*
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or micro basil
-Freshly ground pepper
-Parmesan cheese, for the top (optional)
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Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook until vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and potatoes. Stir an additional minute.
3. Add tomatoes, broth or water, green beans, and alphabet pasta. Bring pot up to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in frozen peas then turn off heat and stir in fresh basil.
5. Taste soup for seasoning then add in pepper and additional salt, as needed.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of  extra basil, if desired.

*Cooked pasta will absorb lots of liquid if left in the soup for an extended period of time. If you’d like to make this soup in advance or freeze a portion to enjoy another time, you will want to cook your pasta in a separate pot, drain, then add to the portion of the soup you will be eating right away.