Instant Pot Alphabet Soup–a grown-up, homemade version of your favorite childhood soup. This soup only has a handful of ingredients and is perfect on a chilly day.
This recipe can be made in your Instant Pot or Crockpot. Both instructions are listed in the recipe card.
Instant Pot Alphabet Soup
This soup is nostalgia central! I loved canned alphabet soup as a kid. And also the spaghettios with alphabet pasta. Loved those. I don’t know that I would like them if I tried them today though…too processed. However I loved this homemade alphabet soup I made in my Instant Pot. It is basically a ground beef, vegetable and pasta soup. It’s nourishing and satisfying. It is simple and delicious. My son was delighted as he ladled himself a bowl and sat down to eat. He was like, “there are letters in this soup!” He had never seen anything like that before. He and my husband both put a small pile of shredded cheddar on top which I did not try, but it looked real good. I hope you enjoy this soup too!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Onion–or 2 Tbsp of dehydrated minced onion
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Worcestershire sauce
- Petite diced tomatoes–or crushed tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Alphabet pasta–or orzo pasta. I couldn’t find the alphabet pasta at the grocery store, so I ordered it online*.
- Frozen mixed vegetables–my bag had peas, carrots, corn and green beans
Instant Pot Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break if up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
Stir in the pepper, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
Dump in the Worcestershire, tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Add in the pasta and vegetables. Don’t stir.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 0 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a slice of cornbread and honey butter. You can also serve it with a dinner roll or fresh French bread.
- I used my 3 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 6 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The pasta does expand and it will become less and less soup-like. However, you can add more broth if you’d like.
- This soup is fairly thick. You can add in an additional cup of broth, if you’d like.
More Instant Pot Recipes from Childhood…
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy, cheese mac and cheese with toasted panko breadcrumbs on top.
Instant Pot Easy Chicken Pot Pie
A really easy, almost cheater version of chicken pot pie. Tender pieces of chicken are served with vegetables and a creamy gravy sauce and then topped with a golden brown biscuit. A family-friendly meal that is great any day of the week.
Instant Pot Salisbury Steak, Gravy and Mashed Potatoes
Good old fashioned salisbury steak is prepared in your pressure cooker with a savory mushroom and onion gravy and creamy mashed potatoes. An amazing homemade one pot meal that will have you throwing away any TV dinners that you have in your freezer.
Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
With just a little more effort than making a boxed meal you can have a homemade creamy tomato basil beef pasta meal. And with the help of your Instant Pot it takes just a few minutes.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Alphabet Soup (Instant Pot or Crockpot)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A grown-up, homemade version of your favorite childhood soup. This soup only has a handful of ingredients and is perfect on a chilly day.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup alphabet pasta or orzo pasta
- 1 (12 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break if up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the pepper, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Dump in the Worcestershire, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta and vegetables. Don’t stir.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 0 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break if up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Add beef and onions to slow cooker.
- Stir in the pepper, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, broth, Worcestershire, tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Stir in the pasta and vegetables and cook on high for 30-60 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I haven’t tried it yet, though I will! I just wanted to add that the alphabet noodles can typically be found in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores, it is considered “fideo” (noodle). There are many different types of tiny pasta-including stars so maybe you can do a chicken and stars one? lol that’s a classic too. La Moderna is the most popular brand I’ve seen in the stores around me! Love your recipes and you’ve made me love my Instant Pot, thank you!
★★★★
Thank you so much for the tip! I will check there next time I go to the grocery store.