Sopa de conchas, or Mexican shell soup, is a classic comforting sopita made of toasted shell pasta cooked in a flavorful homemade tomato broth.
Sopa de Conchas Is Simply the Best!
Growing up, my mom made me sopita all the time.
In fact, I didn’t realize how often I was eating it until I had a daughter of my own and noticed that my mom and I were constantly offering it to her. It’s such a perfect quick dish for families that it’s hard to pass up.
That’s why I love it so much, but here’s why I think you’ll love it too:
- The conchas! I love shell pasta. It’s my favorite pasta shape. I love how the broth collects inside the shell and every bite results in a burst of flavor that makes me smile.
- It’s versatile! The base of this dish is so simple that anyone can make it. In fact, its simplicity is what makes it so great. You can eat it as is, or you’re free to mix in all sorts of veggies, shredded chicken, or extra seasonings for a different spin on the soup, depending on what you have in the fridge or what you’re feeling at the moment.
- Kids love it! This soup is a big hit with kids. The broth is flavorful and comforting, and the ingredients are familiar to most little ones, which is usually half the battle when trying to get them to eat. The pasta is soft, easy to eat, and also kind of fun to slurp!
What Is Sopa de Conchas?
Sopa de conchas, or “Mexican shell soup,” is a tomato-based soup made with onions, garlic, and some bouillon using conchas pasta (shells). It’s a variation of sopa de letras and sopa de fideo made with different pasta shapes.
This recipe includes all of the traditional ingredients to make the broth, and I lightly toast the pasta before cooking it to give it some extra nutty flavor!
Ingredients
- The base: This soup’s base is a broth made from Roma tomatoes, white onion, chicken bouillon, and garlic that’s blended together and then briefly simmered in a little oil. By simmering the combined ingredients together before mixing in the rest of the broth, we can better marry the flavors and create some extra depth to the whole dish.
- The pasta: I use conchas pasta, but you can substitute other types of pasta if that’s what you have around the house (like letras for the kiddos). In this recipe, I toast the pasta, which adds a slightly nutty taste and adds to the depth and intricacy of flavor.
How to Make Sopa de Conchas
Add onion, tomatoes, garlic cloves, 1 cup of broth, vegetable (or chicken) bouillon, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Next, heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add shell pasta and stir to coat the pasta evenly with oil. Toast the pasta until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato puree mixture to the pasta and stir to combine.
Quick Tip
- If you prefer a silky smooth broth, strain the blended tomato broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids.
Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the mixture darkens. Add the remaining broth and turn up the heat to high.
Cover and boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt if needed and serve.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of this sopita, and other sopas like sopa de fideo, is its simplicity. The broth really shines on its own, and doesn’t need to be served with a ton of toppings for it to be delicious. That being said, if you want to add a little something to your bowl, some avocado slices, queso fresco or cotija, fresh cilantro, or a squeeze of lime is perfect.
It’s also very popular to serve it with some taquitos or flautas dipped into the broth!
Variations
- Add vegetables. You can add 1 cup of frozen vegetable mix when simmering the soup, or saute some fresh veggies like spinach, zucchini, celery, and carrots when toasting the pasta.
- Make this recipe vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and vegetable or tomato bouillon instead of chicken bouillon.
- Add some spice. When simmering the soup, add half a jalapeño or serrano pepper. This gives it a little spice, and adds so much flavor to the broth!
Recommended Tools
- Dutch oven: My favorite pot in the kitchen. My family constantly uses it to make soups and braise meats.
- Blender: This one is the one I use at home, and it works great for a litany of recipes.
- Ladle: I believe ladles are underrated kitchen utensils. I thought I was fine just using a large spoon, but then I bought a ladle and realized I was wrong.
Storing and Reheating
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can reheat in the microwave, but reheat slowly on the stovetop over low to medium heat until the soup is warmed through for better results. You may need to stir in some water or broth as the soup will have thickened a bit.
Sopa de Conchas
Ingredients
- 6 cups broth, divided (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
- 3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (vegetable and tomato also work)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 7 ounces shell pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional toppings: Avocado, queso fresco or cotija cheese, lime juice
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of broth, the tomatoes, onion, bouillon, garlic, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the shell pasta and stir to coat it evenly with oil. Toast until golden brown for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the blended tomato mixture and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the mixture starts to darken.
- Stir in the remaining 5 cups of broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes or until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
- Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Add vegetables. You can add 1 cup of frozen vegetable mix when simmering the soup, or saute some fresh veggies like spinach, zucchini, celery, and carrots when toasting the pasta.
- Make this recipe vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and vegetable or tomato bouillon instead of chicken bouillon.
- Add some spice. When simmering the soup, add half a jalapeño or serrano pepper. This gives it a little spice, and adds so much flavor to the broth!
Nutrition Information
Photography by Erin Jensen of The Wooden Skillet.
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