WELCHING ON A MARKER
Well, let it never be said that I welched on a marker. Last night I made Sherry’s Alphabet Soup and it was quite good. It takes a special kind of fun person to think of recreating a kid’s classic soup and makes me miss knowing her even more.
I made just a few changes (as you knew I would) to her wonderful recipe, but nothing Earth shattering. I CAN’T STAND lima beans, so they were jettisoned, I didn’t have any celery (how did that happen?) and all I had was canned peas, so they were added at the very end just to warm them. Other than that, I was true to Sherry’s recipe.
ALPHABET SOUP JUST LIKE WHEN YOU WERE A KID
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- 1 medium yukon gold potato, chopped small
- 1 carrot, chopped small
- 3/4 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 of a 7 ounce package of alphabet pasta
- Pinch of herbs, if you wish. I used dried thyme [not me!]
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup peas
Saute the onion, thyme, and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Add the can of tomatoes, including the liquid, and the stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then use a hand mixer or food processor to make the broth smooth. (You don’t have to do that, if you don’t want to.[I didn't])
Add the celery, potatoes, corn, and peas to the stock base, and cook at a low simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pasta to the soup and cook according to package directions–about 4 minutes, usually.
I brought the leftovers to work and a few people laughed at me, but they were the losers – it was great! Thank you, Sherry, for bringing me back to my childhood – I loved it! Again, God Bless you – you still bring joy to this world. – MPM
