Sopa de Fideo
Sopa de Fideo is an incredibly simple, flavorful Mexican noodle soup made with a savory tomato-based broth. It is the epitome of kid-friendly comfort food, and takes just 20 minutes to make!
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- ½ white onion quartered
- 3 roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon tomato bouillon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch cumin seeds
- 4 cups water divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (7 ounce pack) fideo thin noodles - see notes
- 6 to 8 cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a blender place onion, tomatoes, garlic, bouillon, pepper, cumin seeds, and 1 cup of water; and puree until smooth.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add fideo. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fideo is slightly toasted, but not burned.
- Stir in the pureed mixture to the fideo until the puree thickens and darkens, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining 3 cups of water and bring soup to a boil and continue to stir occasionally.
- Add in cilantro, cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for 10 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Check the salt and adjust to taste before serving.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Don’t miss the toasting step. The biggest flavor secret in this soup is toasting the noodles before simmering them. Just like we toast the rice for arroz rojo, we do the same with the dried fideo to add a toasty, nutty flavor.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. The cook time in step 5 will depend on the width and type of the noodles you use. Make sure to check the instructions on the packet so you don’t accidentally overcook them!
- Scale up. Feeding a crowd? You’re welcome to double or triple the recipe as needed. Just make sure your pot is big enough to handle all the goodness, and work in batches to make the tomato purée so you don’t accidentally spray it all over the walls.
- Any leftovers can be kept in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- You can also keep fideos soup in the freezer for up to three months.
- To reheat, you’ll want to add a bit more water or broth. The longer the fideos sit, the more they’ll soak up.
- Don’t overcook the noodles when you reheat the soup, as they’ll begin to become mushy and fall apart. I recommend straining the noodles out, heating the broth to a boil, turning off the heat, and letting the broth warm the cold noodles up.
- Vegetarian or vegan sopa de fideo - Swap the chicken bouillon for more of the tomato bouillon or substitute vegetable bouillon instead. Also, most noodles are vegan by nature - just check the label to ensure that your noodles are egg free.
- Gluten free fideos soup - As long as your noodles are gluten free, you should be in the clear. I'd recommend opting for a slightly thicker pasta like spaghetti in this case, as some of the thinner varieties can break apart without much cooking at all. Just be aware of the cook times as recommended on the back of the package.
- Other shapes of pasta - While I always keep fideos on hand, you can swap in some spaghetti or vermicelli noodles that you break into smaller pieces. Or, if you're serving a battalion of tiny humans, go for the giggle inducing star or alphabet pasta instead! Trust me, Sopa de Estrellitas or Sopa de Letras are always a hit with the kids.
Nutrition
Calories: 360.79kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.69g | Protein: 11.85g | Fat: 8.33g | Saturated Fat: 1.61g | Cholesterol: 67.47mg | Sodium: 48.13mg | Potassium: 293.26mg | Fiber: 3.28g | Sugar: 2.77g | Vitamin A: 442.99IU | Vitamin C: 5.62mg | Calcium: 38.32mg | Iron: 1.65mg