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Sopa de fideo, also known as Mexican noodle soup, is a traditional Mexican soup made from toasted fideo noodles cooked in a flavorful homemade tomato broth. It’s satisfying, comforting, and perfect for the whole family!
I absolutely adore this recipe for Sopa de Fideo, and here’s why:
This soup is a true crowd-pleaser, perfect for the entire family. It caters to picky eaters with its simplicity, making it a favorite of my little toddler. However, it’s also versatile enough to accommodate different preferences by adding extra veggies or other variations. You’ll find some helpful tips in the variation section below.
In just about 30 minutes, you’ll have a wholesome and delicious meal on the table. It’s hard to find a quicker and easier option!
What truly sets this soup apart is its incredible flavor. Despite its straightforward preparation, the lightly toasted noodles with the delicious broth make for the best flavor! It never fails to fulfill my cravings for a comforting and flavorful soup.
What Is Sopa de Fideo?
Sopa de fideo is a traditional Mexican soup made with thin noodles called “fideos” that are typically toasted in oil before being cooked in a flavorful tomato-based broth. It’s a popular and comforting dish that comes together in about 30 minutes!
Fideo noodles are round and thin, like spaghetti noodles, but short and bite-sized. You can find it in the pasta aisle of your grocery store labeled as “fideo” or sometimes as “cut spaghetti.”
If you can’t find fideo noodles in your grocery store, you could buy regular spaghetti noodles and break them into short 1-inch pieces. Here’s the pasta I used for this recipe.
How to Make Sopa de Fideo
Blend and strain: Blend together some tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, and broth until completely smooth. Then, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any solids and set aside.
Toast: Toast the fideo pasta noodles in a large pot for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to lightly brown and blister.
Cook: Pour in the blended tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes, then add in the remaining broth, chicken bouillon (if using), and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
How to Serve Sopa de Fideo
I like to serve my sopa de fideo in a big bowl with some cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice for some brightness and freshness.
It’s also common to add in some fresh avocado slices and a sprinkle of cotija cheese or queso fresco on top.
Recipe Variations
The base of this soup is so simple and flavorful that it’s easy for you to make different variations based on what you have in your pantry! Here are some ideas:
- Add veggies: Add 1 cup of any frozen veggie mix you like. Zucchini, carrots, diced potatoes, or even beans for some extra flavor and nutrition would also be great.
- Use different noodles: You can also use different-shaped pasta if you can’t find fideo. There are several variations like alphabet (sopa de letras), stars, shells, and melon seed-shaped pasta that also work well.
Storing and Reheating
Sopa de fideo can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
To reheat, heat in a medium pot over medium heat until warm, or microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More Mexican Soups
Sopa de Fideo
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, quartered (yellow or white)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 cups broth, divided (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 8 ounces fideo pasta
- 1 bouillon cube (about 2 teaspoons), chicken or vegetable, optional
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, and 1 cup of the chicken broth to a large blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Strain the blended tomato sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any solids. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the fideo pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to light brown and blister.
- Pour in the blended tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, chicken bouillon (if using), and salt. Stir to combine 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awesome recipe. Thanks
I’m so happy to have found your blog. Growing up, my mama made fideo all the time, so this brings back many fond memories! I’m going to make this tonight, maybe reduce it a little more as I like a thick sauce. In the meantime, I’m going to explore your site further to see what other gems you have!
Thank you so much, Diane. I’m so happy you found my blog too! Part of the reason I love creating these Mexican recipes is because they bring back so many memories for me, too. I want to carry on my Mexican culture through food, and I’m so happy it’s resonating with you! 🙂
Could I add some shredded chicken to make it a bit heartier?
Yes!
Im sorry i just made it , followed step by step and it does not taste good. At least not like your typically mexican fideo.
For a slightly more authentic flavor. You saute the noodles first till they are slight dark golden brown. Then add the blended mix. Similar to making spanish rice. Just noodle instead of rice.
Well, this certainly takes me back to my childhood! My mom would use fideo noodles that were like thin spaghetti noodles but they were curled. They are hard to find nowadays but occasionally I do see them in the grocery store.
Ooh, I’ve never seen curled ones before. Sopa de Fideo definitely brings back good memories 🙂
This soup was great! It was better than I even thought it would be.
Thank you so much!
My mouth is watering. I have to make this tonight!
Thanks, Maggie! 🙂 I love sopa de fideo!
Are you sure 1,669 mg sodium is correct for one serving? The soup looks so delicious and easy to make but I’d have to skip it if the sodium is that high.
Hi Tamara, I think it’s mainly due to the canned tomatoes and the chicken broth. You can substitute those with low-sodium varieties instead. Also, the nutritional information on this site is just an estimate since it can vary depending on the brand and exact product you use. I use MyFitnessPal to calculate nutritional information, but there may be errors in their database since it’s user submitted.
I always use no salt diced tomatoes or use my own roma tomatoes to decrease the sodium intake because we are a no/low sodium,low sugar, low fat household they also have a low sodium broth you can use as well to cut back i agree the sodium is outrageous on this recipe but i know you can cut it down to at least 400-650mg easy with substitutes
My soup tasted good, but the broth was thick. Do you think it would be ok with one. Ana of tomatoes and the 6 cups of chick broth?
Hi Joy, I’ve never tried making the recipe that way so I’m not quite sure, but I think it would be okay! If you try it like that, let me know how it turns out!