Sopa de fideo, or sopita de fideo, is a beloved Mexican classic that provides a comforting embrace with every spoonful. Whether the day is sunny or rainy, this noodle soup is enjoyed equally by both young and old. It is the kind of soup that warms the soul and makes you feel cherished.
About this recipe
There is no exact way to say sopa de fideo in English, but you can call it Mexican noodle soup. Here’s the recipe for vegan sopa de fideo, which has the same taste as the one I had in my childhood.
What is sopa de fideo?
In some families, they call it sopita de fideo; in others, sopa aguada (brothy soup) or sopa de pasta (pasta soup). They may have different names but are all made the same, so this Mexican Sopa (soup) will always taste excellent.
Sopa de fideo is a Mexican noodle soup. Fideos are skinny noodles broken into small pieces. You can find them online or in Latin specialty stores.
Ingredients for the fideo soup
- Fideo pasta, Mexican noodles. You can substitute the fideos with vermicelli or angel hair noodles broken into small pieces.
- For optimal results, vegetable oil is recommended, but it’s unnecessary.
- Tomato, onion, and garlic. You can substitute fresh tomatoes (I like to use Roma tomatoes) with canned ones. In some places, they call this combination recaudo or caldillo.
- Vegetable broth (vegetable stock) or water. You could also use vegan chicken bouillon.
- Optional, but highly recommended, chile ancho or chile pasilla.
How to make Mexican sopa de fideo?
- To prepare the tomato and onion puree, cut the tomatoes in half and chop the onion into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the mix. Place the ingredients in a food processor or blender and add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Blend the mixture until pureed to create a smooth and flavorful tomato and onion puree.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Toast noodles until golden brown to give a traditional flavor to this Mexican sopa.
- After adding the tomato sauce, let it cook for a minute or so until it sizzles. Then, pour some water or vegetable broth and let the mixture simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the color of the tomato sauce, as it should turn from a lighter to a deeper shade of red. This will indicate that the fideo soup is ready and the pasta is al dente.
Tips & tricks
- The pasta can burn pretty fast; do not take your eyes away.
- Feel free to add more broth or water to the soup. Remember, this is a sopa aguada, brothy soup.
- The soup’s texture thickens at room temperature, and the pasta absorbs water.
- This soup is best eaten as soon as it is done.
- Don’t be afraid to season your soup; it requires very few ingredients, and you need the salt.
- This soup can be made with gluten-free pasta; the best is bean pasta. They hold their shape best.
- If you want to add depth of flavor to the broth, roast the tomatoes, garlic, and onion on a pan or comal.
How to serve this soup
Some people serve it with a squeeze of lime juice, others with chopped cilantro. Growing up, my mom served it with a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream, and my dad added a spoonful of salsa. I always serve it with sliced avocado.
Other families serve it with a queso cotija or queso fresco and a rolled warm corn tortilla. For a vegan version, I substitute with vegan feta cheese.
Give this recipe a twist
- You can add some spinach or other vegetables to make it more substantial.
- Add chickpeas or faux shredded chicken if this is your main dish.
- Change the pasta and use shells, alphabet pasta (sopa de letras in Spanish). And if you don’t have fideo noodles, break spaghetti into small pieces.
How to store and reheat the soup
To store. Let the soup cool to room temperature, then ladle it into a container with an airtight seal. You can use a large one or several individual ones. Store the soup for 5 to 6 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze. Freeze in bags or freezer-safe airtight containers. The soup will last up to 6 months in the freezer. Let it thaw for a few minutes before reheating.
To reheat. Reheat in a saucepan or the microwave. Check for seasoning before saving and adjust if needed.
This Mexican soup is the perfect soup to have in the fridge and serve for lunch or dinner. You can make a large pot over the weekend and serve as needed.
Other Mexican soup recipes that you may like:
- Lentil Soup
- Tortilla soup
- Caldo de pollo, Vegan Mexican Chicken Soup
- Pozole
- Black Bean Pozole
- Vegetable and pasta soup
- Calabacitas soup
- Mexican vegetable soup
Fideo Soup
Equipment
- blender
- 4 qt stock size pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 oz fideo pasta
- 1 pound tomatoes roma tomatoes
- ½ medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 chile ancho optional
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half, quarter the onion, and peel the garlic, blend in a food processor or blender with a pinch of salt until completely pureed.
- Preheat the oil over medium heat in a medium-large pot and cook the fideos until lightly toasted and golden brown. This step gives this Mexican sopa its traditional flavor.
- Add the tomato mixture and let it sizzle for a minute or so. Add water, or vegetable broth, add the chile if using, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. You will know also know the fideo soup is done because the tomato mixture goes from a light to a deeper red.
- Remove the chile and serve
Notes
Feel free to add more broth or water to the soup. Remember this is a sopa aguada, brothy soup.
The texture of the soup thinkens when room temperature, the pasta absorbs water.
This soups is best eaten as soon as it is done.
Don’t be afraid to season your soup, it calls for very few ingredients, you need the salt.
This soup can be made with a gluten-free pasta, the best are bean pastas. They hold their shape best.
It you want to add depth of flavor to the broth, roast the tomatoes, garlic and onion on a pan or comal.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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