Sopa de Fideo is a noodle soup with Mexican fideo, or small thin noodles, cooked in a tomato-flavored broth seasoned with onions, garlic, cumin, and chicken broth. The fresh tomatoes are pureed into a smooth tomato sauce before being added to the broth, making this recipe perfect for all ages. This dish is comforting and quick with an easy-to-follow process.
The fideo noodles are toasted in vegetable oil to add depth of flavor to this authentic sopa de fideo recipe. The noodles are then cooked in the tomato broth to absorb all the delicious flavors. Finish with freshly squeezed lime juice and cilantro, or add additional toppings of your choice. This recipe is a warming and filling lunch, dinner, or appetizer. For more soup recipes, try my minestrone soup, chicken noodle soup, or taco soup.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Tomatoes – core and halve the tomatoes before pureeing. Use your favorite variety of fresh tomatoes, such as Roma or beefsteak. You can substitute a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes or an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce in a pinch.
Vegetable Oil – the fideo browns and toasts when cooked in vegetable oil. Preheat the oil, and be sure to use the full amount of oil so all the noodles are coated and evenly toast.
Fideo Noodles – these thin small noodles are perfect for toasting and give this dish its name. Fideo are found in many grocery stores, sometimes in the international section, or can be purchased at a Mexican grocery store. For a substitute, use angel hair, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces.
Chicken Broth – the broth is combined with pureed tomatoes, onion, and garlic for a smooth and flavorful base to the Mexican sopa. You can also use chicken stock. For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock.
How to Make Sopa de Fideo
1. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cumin in a blender. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds. Set aside.
2. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium. Add the fideo pasta pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato mixture to the toasted fideo.
4. Add 4 cups chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. If the noodles have absorbed a lot of the liquid, or you want a brothier soup, add more chicken broth until the soup is your desired consistency.
5. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt.
6. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for an extra squeeze of lime juice, if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Heat the oil before adding the noodles. Before adding the noodles to the pot, warm the oil over medium heat. The noodles will toast better and more evenly if started in hot oil.
- Break the noodles into a separate bowl. If you are using longer vermicelli noodles or angel hair pasta, break them into small pieces in a separate bowl instead of directly into the soup pot. This way, you can add all the noodles to the hot oil at the same time and have your hands free for stirring.
- Toast the noodles until fragrant. One of the things that sets this recipe apart is the flavor and texture that comes from taking the time to toast the noodles. Usually, this step will take 4 to 5 minutes, but watch for the noodles to darken in color and become golden brown and fragrant before adding the chicken broth. Furthermore, if the noodles toast too quickly or some noodles start to burn, reduce the heat.
- Start by adding just 4 cups of broth. Different types of noodles will absorb varied amounts of broth as they cook, so start with just 4 cups of broth. Holding back some of the broth allows you to personalize the thickness of the soup before serving.
- Use fresh lime juice. Freshly squeezed lime juice delivers the best flavor, so use fresh juiced limes when possible!
- Added vegetable variations. If you like additional texture or vegetables in your soup, stir in diced tomatoes, corn, or roasted vegetables such as onions, yellow squash, or zucchini before serving. Or top with homemade salsa or pico de gallo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you plan to store this Mexican fideo soup recipe, cook the noodles until al dente because they will continue to absorb broth and soften when stored.
Yes, you most certainly can freeze the leftover soup. Let it come to room temperature before moving to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Top this recipe with cilantro, queso fresco, sour cream, diced avocado, or even guacamole. The flavorful broth is perfect for dipping a side of tortilla chips or fresh tortillas.
Most definitely! If you like a kick of heat in your noodle soup, add ¼-½ teaspoon of spicy chili powder or cayenne pepper to the tomato mixture when pureeing.
The fideo will become mushy if overcooked. For Mexican sopa de fideo with a wonderful texture, remove the soup from the heat when the noodles have reached your desired tenderness and serve immediately. If making this recipe ahead, cook until the noodles are al dente with just a little firmness left.
Fideo means “noodles” in English and refers to the type of noodles traditionally used for this soup in Mexican cuisine. Often referred to as “Fideo noodles” in the States, they are thin noodles that toast nicely when cooked with vegetable oil, giving this soup its unique and excellent flavor.
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Sopa de Fideo
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes cored and halved
- 1 cup chopped onion (128g)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 ounces fideo noodles (or angel hair, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti) (225g)
- 4 to 6 cups chicken broth (960mL-1.44L)
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cumin in a blender. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds. Set aside.
- Warm the oil in a large pot over medium. Add the fideo noodles (or long pasta broken into 1-inch pieces) and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato mixture, 4 cups chicken broth, and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. If the noodles have absorbed a lot of the liquid, or you want a brothier soup, add more chicken broth until the soup is your desired consistency. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt. Serve with cilantro.
Notes
- Heat the oil before adding the noodles. Before adding the noodles to the pot, warm the oil over medium heat. The noodles will toast better and more evenly if started in hot oil.
- Break the noodles into a separate bowl. If you are using longer vermicelli noodles or angel hair pasta, break them into small pieces in a separate bowl instead of directly into the soup pot. This way, you can add all the noodles to the hot oil at the same time and have your hands free for stirring.
- Toast the noodles until fragrant. One of the things that sets this recipe apart is the flavor and texture that comes from taking the time to toast the noodles. Usually, this step will take 4 to 5 minutes, but watch for the noodles to darken in color and become golden brown and fragrant before adding the chicken broth. Furthermore, if the noodles toast too quickly or some noodles start to burn, reduce the heat.
- Start by adding just 4 cups of broth. Different types of noodles will absorb varied amounts of broth as they cook, so start with just 4 cups of broth. Holding back some of the broth allows you to personalize the thickness of the soup before serving.
- Use fresh lime juice. Freshly squeezed lime juice delivers the best flavor, so use fresh juiced limes when possible!
- Added vegetable variations. If you like additional texture or vegetables in your soup, stir in diced tomatoes, corn, or roasted vegetables such as onions, yellow squash, or zucchini before serving. Or top with homemade salsa or pico de gallo.
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