chicken alphabet soup
Also known as: chicken and stars soup
A canned condensed soup (Campbell's is the classic brand) of chicken broth with small alphabet-shaped or star-shaped pasta, meant to be diluted with water or milk like other condensed soups. Also used as a quick base ingredient in a homemade chowder rather than prepared and served on its own.
Buying guidance
Sold in the condensed soup aisle alongside other Campbell's-style soups; "chicken alphabet" and "chicken and stars" are the two common versions and are interchangeable, differing only in the pasta shape.
Substitutions
- Chicken broth plus a small amount of any tiny pasta shape (orzo, ditalini) -- built from scratch, gives similar body and a similar (if not identical) tiny-pasta texture.
- A different Campbell's-style chicken soup with small pasta -- interchangeable by can.
- Plain chicken broth, with the pasta component omitted -- loses the small-pasta texture but keeps the chicken flavor base.
Tips & common mistakes
Treating it as a full-strength broth rather than a concentrate can throw off a recipe's liquid balance -- check whether a recipe already accounts for its "condensed" nature (undiluted) before adding extra water on top.
Storage
An unopened can keeps for a year or more in the pantry. Once opened, refrigerate any leftover in a sealed container and use within a few days.