Tomato Alphabet Soup
ABCスープ（トマト味）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
"ABC soup" - a vegetable soup dotted with alphabet-shaped pasta - is a familiar sight on Japanese school lunch menus, and this is the tomato version. Children love fishing the letters out of their bowls, and the gentle sweetness of ketchup rounds off the tang of the tomatoes so even little ones take to it. The vegetables are diced small and softened in the microwave first, which gives the soup the mellow, long-simmered taste of the preschool kitchen without a long time at the stove.
Toddlers to adults. The whole family can eat this exactly as written.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
- 10.5 gbacon
- 30 gonion
- 15 gcarrot
- 36 gpotato
- 30 gcabbage
- 10.5 galphabet pasta
- 3 gvegetable oil
- 225 mlwater
- 3 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 54 gcanned diced tomatoes
- 3.6 gketchup
- 0.5 gsalt
- to tastepepper
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
Video is in Japanese — the steps below are synced to it, so tap ▶ on a step to jump to that moment.
- 1
Cut the carrot, onion, cabbage, and potato into 1 cm dice, and soak the potato in water for about 5 minutes. Cut the bacon into 1 cm strips. (For the tomato version, dicing the vegetables helps them blend into the soup and taste better.)
- 2
Put the carrot, onion, cabbage, and 1 tbsp water (not included in the ingredient amounts) in a microwave-safe bowl and stir lightly. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, leaving a gap for steam to escape, and microwave at 1200W for about 2 minutes 30 seconds (5 minutes at 600W). Add the potato, stir, and microwave for about 30 seconds more (1 minute at 600W).
- 3
Heat the oil in a pot, add the vegetables from step 2 and the bacon, and sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the water and consommé, and once it comes to a boil, add the diced tomatoes and ketchup and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. (If you have time, simmering for 20 minutes or more mellows the acidity of the tomatoes and brings the flavors together.)
- 4
Add the alphabet pasta and simmer for about 10 minutes more, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips for Best Results
- Softening the vegetables in the microwave first gives the soup the mellow taste of vegetables that have been simmered until meltingly tender.
- The pasta soaks up the soup as it sits, so if you are making this ahead, store the soup before adding the pasta.
How to Freeze
Remove the potato, as its texture changes when frozen. Before adding the pasta, let the soup cool, then divide it into single portions in freezer bags and freeze. To serve, reheat in the microwave and add freshly cooked alphabet pasta.
Keeps for: about 2 weeks (best eaten as soon as possible)
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 154.5 kcal | 309 kcal | 154.5 kcal |
| Protein | 5.1 g | 10.2 g | 5.1 g |
| Fat | 5.6 g | 11.1 g | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24.6 g | 49.2 g | 24.6 g |
| Fiber | 6 g | 12 g | 6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Calcium | 31.5 mg | 63 mg | 31.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 492 mg | 984 mg | 492 mg |
| Phosphorus | 91.5 mg | 183 mg | 91.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Phosphorus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 154.5 kcal | 5.1 g | 5.6 g | 24.6 g | 6 g | 2.1 g | 31.5 mg | 0.8 mg | 492 mg | 91.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 309 kcal | 10.2 g | 11.1 g | 49.2 g | 12 g | 4.2 g | 63 mg | 1.5 mg | 984 mg | 183 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
Cooking for bigger kids? See the elementary-school portion of this recipe.
