Begin by warming the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until it is softened. Then add garlic and celery, saute until celery is soft.

Next, to wake up the dried herbs, stir in the dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

When the herbs begin to smell delicious, pour in the can of tomatoes, the tomato paste and the carton of vegetable stock. Bring the soup up to a boil and then drop to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Now it’s time for the secret weapon – frozen vegetables. Add whatever combination of vegetables your family likes. Bring the soup up to a boil again and drop it down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

If your kids don’t like eating chunky vegetables, use an emersion blender to puree the cooked vegetables…before adding the pasta. Your soup will end up being a little bit thicker, so you may need to add an additional ½ cup of stock.

Time for the letters! Stir in the dried pasta and the additional 1 cup of vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. – until the letter are al dente.

Serve up the soup right away or set it aside to cool. Once the soup has cooled, store the soup in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to use.