Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Homemade Alphabet Soup

It’s week two of the Preschool Book Club Series and this week we are all about Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This book is always a favorite with the preschool crowd. This week we are bringing together our love of literacy with our love of cooking (and eating!) to make Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Homemade Alphabet Soup.

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Meredith @ Homegrown Friends

Serves: 12

Ingredients

roast turkey or chicken (roast your own or buy a rotesserie chicken)
1 onion, diced
6 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1.5 cups alphabet pasta, uncooked
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place roasted chicken in a large pot. Fill with water almost to top of the pot (leave 2-3 inches). Simmer on medium-low for 1 hour.
Peel and dice six carrots.
Next cut the 4 celery stalks into small bite size pieces.
Dice 1 onion.
After an hour take the chicken out of the water.
Add the cut up vegetables and alphabet pasta into the water.
Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Take the chicken off the bone and cut the chicken meat into small bites and add to the soup.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM HOMEMADE ALPHABET SOUP

roast turkey or chicken (roast your own or buy a rotisserie chicken)
1 onion, diced
6 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1.5 cups alphabet pasta, uncooked
salt and pepper to taste

COOKING TOOLS NEEDED

large pot
large spoon
kid friendly knives
vegetable peelers
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Click here to purchase kid-friendly knives

Click here to purchase Chicka Chicka Boom Boom via Amazon

AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED BY COOKING WITH KIDS

fine motor development
sensory exploration
scientific exploration
literacy development
mathematics (measuring, addition)
food appreciation

After reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom we got to work creating homemade alphabet soup for lunch.

This soup recipe is based on the soup I grew up eating. I love cooking with my kids and creating a meal that we can then all sit down together and enjoy. Set up the ingredients so the children can see what they will be using to cook.

After discussing each of the ingredients we got to work. Place roasted chicken in a large pot. Fill with water almost to top of the pot (leave 2-3 inches). Simmer on medium-low for 1 hour. While the chicken cooks in the water peel the carrots. Teach the children how to hold the carrot at the top and peel down away from their fingers to avoid injury.

Because our carrots were very big I used a large knife to cut them into quarters and then gave the carrots to my children to cut into smaller pieces. Peel and dice six carrots.

Next cut the 4 celery stalks into small bite size pieces.

If your kids are brave they can help you dice the onion. My kids voted to give me the job of onion cutter after they smelled it, and I told them it might make their eyes water. They were so proud of our pile of cut up vegetables!

Next I gave my children the opportunity to explore the alphabet pasta before we put it in the soup. They loved looking at all the teeny tiny letters and finding the ones in their names.

After an hour take the chicken out of the water. Add the cut up vegetables and alphabet pasta into the water. Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. While the soup cooks have your children help you take the chicken off of the bones (hands work best for this). This is an amazing anatomy lesson. I believe it is important for children to understand where their food comes from and have a real appreciation for it. When taking the chicken meat off the bones you can discuss the different parts of the chicken. Cut the chicken meat into small bites and add to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.