I have already shared a tomato soup recipe, which contains vegetables and wide strip noodles.The following recipe is a kid-friendly version of tomato soup, which is a typical dish in Hungarian school canteens. It’s a very simple, but tasty food, which is made with roux, sugar and alphabet pasta. Alphabet pasta is a good way to entertain the little ones while stimulating their imagination and giving them their first introduction to the idea of reading.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp lard
• 1 heaping tbsp flour
• 1 liter (~4 1/4 cups) tomato juice
• 300-400 ml (~1 1/4 – 1 2/3 cups) water
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 small whole onion, peeled
• 1 small slice of celeriac, peeled
• 40 g (~1 1/2 oz) alphabet pasta

In a pot heat lard, add flour and make a blond roux. Pour in tomato juice and water, add a whole, peeled onion and a small slice of celeriac. While stirring constantly, bring the soup to a boil, then cook over low heat. Season with salt and sugar, and stir regularly. After 15 minutes add the alphabet pasta and cook for 5 more minutes until the pasta is tender. Turn off the heat and discard onion and celeriac. Serve hot.