Sopa de Fideo Recipe (2024)

Sopa de Fideo Recipe (Fideo Soup)

Today we are making a nice pot of Sopa de Fideo in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, and if you love Mexican soups, I think you're going to love this one.

Sopa de Fideo is a popular Mexican noodle soup served in Mexican homes and restaurants alike. It is a simple dish of noodles that are lightly toasted, then simmered in a tomato-based broth.

You'll also find fideo served in Spain, where it is said to have originated, as well as the Philippines, Texas, and other parts of the United States.

"Fideos" means "noodles" in Spanish. It is mostly served as a soup, though it looks quite like an Italian-style fideo pasta called "fideo seco".

Essentially, the pasta absorbs the saucy broth as it simmers, making it more of a dry soup, or "fideo seco", though you can easily adjust the amount of stock used to make it more pasta like or more soup like, whichever you prefer.

The more traditional fideo soup is served with only the noodles in sauce, though you can add in other ingredients, like meats and vegetables, to round it out.

You'll find some variations from cook to cook. It's an incredibly comforting dish, full of flavor, lots of Mexican spices, and pure satisfaction.

This is how I like to make mine. Such an easy soup!

Let's talk about how to make fideo soup, shall we?

Sopa de Fideo Ingredients

• Tomato Sauce. Or you can use chopped or diced tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, you may need more simmering time.
• Other Vegetables. Onion and garlic. Toss in some spicy chilies if you'd like.
• Chicken Stock. You can use vegetable stock as well.
• Seasonings. Ancho powder, guajillo powder, Mexican oregano, and salt.
• Vegetable Oil. Or use butter, for cooking.
• Mexican Chorizo. Optional. You can omit for a simpler version.
• Fideo Noodles. Fideo noodles are thin Mexican noodles that are very similar to vermicelli noodles, though they are cut into much smaller pieces. You can use vermicelli noodles as a substitute, or other similar egg noodles, like angel hair pasta.
• For Topping. Fresh chopped cilantroqueso fresco, chili flakes, lime wedges for a squeeze of lime juice, avocado slices, crema.

How to Make Sopa de Fideo - the Recipe Method

Make Your Sauce/Broth. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chicken stock, and seasonings to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Strain, if desired, for a smoother sauce/broth.

Blending the tomatoes with the other ingredients makes for a fairly smooth sauce/broth.

Cook the Chorizo. Heat the oil in a large pan or medium pot to medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until mostly cooked through.

Remove the chorizo and set aside for now.

Toast the Noodles. Add the fideo noodles and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until they turn golden brown.

Simmer. Pour in the tomato mixture and cooked chorizo (if using) and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the noodles have absorbed the sauce and are cooked to your preference.

Serve It Up! Remove from heat, garnish and serve.

Boom! Done! Your sopa de fideo is ready to serve. I love how easy this is to put together, and also how you can really customize it with added ingredients.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Make a vegetarian version by omitting the Mexican chorizo and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can very easily add in vegetables or black beans to make it a fuller meal.
• For a soupier sopa de fideo, use 6 cups of chicken broth with the recipe, and for a thicker, more pasta-like dish, use only 1.5-2 cups of broth, then adjust to your preference.
• Consider adding chipotle powder or 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce to your tomato sauce mixture for a smokier version.

What are Fideo Noodles?

Fideo noodles are thin noodles similar to vermicelli or spaghetti noodles, but cut shorter. They are thinner than spaghetti, closer in thickness to angel hair pasta or vermicelli.

If you cannot find fideo noodles, you can easily make this recipe with angel hair, vermicelli, and even spaghetti noodles.

Storage

This recipe will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It can be easily reheated in a microwave or tossed in a hot pan.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this sopa de fideo recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, I recommend the following cookbook, which I used to adapt this recipe. It has a lot of great recipes.

• Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)

Tools Used For This Recipe

Amazon Affiliate links, my friends!

• Buy Fideo Noodles from Amazon. You can use vermicelli noodles from the grocery store if you can't find fideo noodles.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Green Spaghetti (Spaghetti Verde)
• Taco Pasta
• Mexican Birria
• Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albondigas)
• Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
• Pozole Rojo
• Caldo de Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Soup)