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    Home » Recipes » Mexican Soup Recipes

    Sopa de Letras + VIDEO

    Published: Oct 9, 2018 · Updated: Jul 25, 2023 by Maggie Unzueta

    Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup, is ready in minutes and perfect for picky eaters.
    Jump to Recipe
    cropped-Sopa-de-Letras-Alfabeto-Mexican-Alphabet-Soup.jpg
    Alphabet pasta spelling out "SOPA" or "soup" in Spanish.
    Spoon holding ABC over a bowl full of Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup.
    Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup, is ready in minutes, quick lunch idea, and perfect for picky eaters. Watch the VIDEO or follow the step-by-step pictures. By Mama Maggie's Kitchen

    Spoon holding ABC over a bowl full of Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Mexican Alphabet Soup (Sopa de Letras), is a childhood favorite. This Mexican kid-friendly recipe makes an easy meal that’s delicious and educational. 

    When I was kid, my brother and I would get home from school, throw our backpacks down, and eat a big bowl of this soup. We thought it was a fun way for us to spell our names. We joke that all Mexican kids learned the letters of the alphabet. lol.

    Along with Sopa de Estrellitas and Sopa de Conchas, this is comfort food at its best! 

    Package of alphabet pasta on a wooden surface.

    Table of Contents

    • 1 Ingredients
    • 2 Instructions
    • 3 Pro Tip:
    • 4 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 5 More Mexican Kids Recipes:
    • 6 Hungry for More?
    • 7 Sopa de Letras
      • 7.1 Ingredients
      • 7.2 Instructions
      • 7.3 Video
      • 7.4 Notes
      • 7.5 Nutrition
          • 7.5.0.1 Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • Roma tomatoes chopped
    • White onion
    • Garlic clove
    • water
    • olive oil
    • package of alphabet pasta
    • chicken bouillon cube

    This classic Mexican soup involves very few ingredients and very little prep. 

    You will need alphabet noodles (sometimes called “ABC pasta”) from the pasta aisle at the grocery store. They come in tiny packages. Sometimes at the Mexican grocery store, you can find 2 small packages for $1. If you can’t find it, look for it in the Hispanic aisle next to the fideo, the tiny star pasta, and the conchas.

    Instructions

    The ingredients needed to make homemade tomato sauce in a blender.

    • Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, and water in the blender until smooth.
    • Then set the tomato sauce aside until ready to use. 

    You can also use a can of tomato sauce, canned tomato puree, or tomato paste and skip this step, but I wanted to give you the “from scratch” recipe. 

    See how vibrant red it is? That’s because the tomatoes have not yet been cooked.

    To make this a complete meal, add some shredded chicken or cooked ground beef. 

    Alphabet pasta toasting inside a metal stockpot.

    • Add oil to a large stock pot or a very large saucepan. 
    • Then add the pasta. 

    Grab the biggest pot you have! Also, don’t go far away, or they will burn.

    Toast the alphabet pasta well on medium heat stirring the bottom of the pot. It will only take a few minutes. Toasty is tasty.

    If the pasta burns, you need to throw away the small pasta. Wash the pot and start all over again. I repeat: Don’t go far from the pot when toasting the pasta!

    Tomato sauce and water pouring into the stockpot with toasted alphabet pasta.

    • Pour in the tomato mixture, water, and chicken bouillon to the pot with the toasted pasta. 

    Stand back! This will splatter, and no one likes to get burned. The letters may look small, but the letters expand with the liquid… and so will your smarts.

    Water goes in next. For more depth and flavor use vegetable stock or chicken stock. For a thinner soup, add more liquid right before you’re about to serve. 

    A large stockpot cooking on a stove with the lid on.

    • Give everything a good stir. Cover with a lid.
    • Let this cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. 

    Chicken bouillon gives this hearty tomato-based soup a lot of flavor to this simple alphabet soup. It also salts the liquid. If you are not interested in using chicken bouillon, you can use chicken broth instead and omit the water. 

    Pro Tip:

    Reserve one cup of liquid until right before serving the sopa de letras. That way, the soup will not be as thick and more soup-y.

    Alphabet pasta spelling out "SOPA" or "soup" in Spanish.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • How long can I store the leftover soup? You can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
    • Can I add my own fresh vegetables to this  “ABC soup”? Sure thing! I always love throwing some green beans or other veggies into this homemade alphabet soup.
    • Can I use a dutch oven to make this soup? Yes, you can. Just follow the instructions above.

    White bowl with Mexican Alphabet Soup inside with a checked towel on the side.

    More Mexican Kids Recipes:

    • Marranitos
    • Cortadillos
    • Molletes
    • Chocomil
    Mexican Alphabet Soup, Sopa de Letras, is a “Meal of Fortune”. Can I buy a vowel? haha!
    After a long day of hanging out with the nuns at our little Catholic school, one of my favorite things to do was to get come home to a bowl of this sopita. Hope you enjoy this Mexican childhood favorite.

    Hungry for More?

    Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter for my latest recipes and videos.

    Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
    Spoon holding ABC over a bowl full of Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup.

    Sopa de Letras

    Sopa de Letras, or Mexican Alphabet Soup, is ready in minutes and perfect for picky eaters.
    5 from 24 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Recipes
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
    • ¼ onion
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 cup water + 4 cups water divided
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 16- ounce package of alphabet pasta
    • 1 chicken bouillon cube

    Instructions

    • To a blender, add tomatoes, onion, garlic clove and 1 cup of water. 
    • Blend until smooth. 
    • Set aside until ready to use. 
    • Heat oil in a large stock pot.
    • Add package of alphabet pasta. 
    • Stir frequently until golden brown. 
    • About 4-5 minutes. 
    • Do not let this burn, or you will have to start all over again. 
    • Add 4 cups of water, tomato mixture, and chicken bouillon.
    • Stir to combine. 
    • Cover and bring to a low simmer.
    • Cook for 20 minutes, or until pasta is soft and the conchas have puffed up. 
    • Serve and enjoy

    Video

    Notes

    Don't like chicken bouillon? Omit water and chicken bouillon, and use chicken broth or vegetarian broth instead.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!
    Maggie Unzueta
    Website | + posts

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

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    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Bella and Dawn at Dear Mummy Blog

      June 18, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      I love Alphabet Shapes! But never tried Mexican Soup before and the flavours sound wonderful!

      Reply
    2. Kalyan Panja

      June 18, 2019 at 8:35 am

      The Mexican soup looks perfect for any occasion. You have done a fabulous job preparing it and you surely enjoyed the soup to the fullest.

      Reply
    3. Fatima Torres

      June 18, 2019 at 5:07 am

      Sopa de Letras is one of the dishes I loved as a kid. Seeing the chicken flavored cubes brought back memories.

      Reply
    4. Nati

      June 17, 2019 at 12:59 pm

      Awesome! this brings memories! we also had sopa de letras in Argentina! but the broth was done a bit differently 🙂

      Reply
    5. Claire Lee

      June 17, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Haha this is so cute!! Good to know more about sopa de letras! I’d love to try the soup someday too!

      Reply
    6. Arya

      June 17, 2019 at 6:56 am

      This reminds me of when I was a kid! So much fun 😉

      Reply

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