Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Igor · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

Scented with cayenne, allspice, cumin, and garnished with cilantro and avocado, this Mexican tomato-based noodle soup (Sopa de Fideo) will take you to Mexico. Ready in 30 minutes!

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (1)

I will tell you this. I am not a huge fan of spicy food. Yep, I said it. That's why Mexican food is not a frequent guest in my kitchen (Carne en su Jugo was amazing though). However, lately I am discovering that far from all food from this sunny country is overly-spiced. There actually exist dishes that are not packed with chillies or other hot peppers with exotic names. Or there are recipes that let you skip them without losing too much flavor. Good news for me! Sopa de Fideo is one of them. The name translates as "noodle soup" from Spanish. That's exactly what it is!

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (2)

The base of this hearty soup is made from tomatoes. Different recipes use different type of tomatoes. There are versions with fresh, roasted and canned ones. As with every traditional dish, there is no single recipe, because every family has their own tricks and secrets! I've used canned ones because it's winter now and I won't be able to find fresh and juicy tomatoes. I definitely don't want to use those tasteless, woody things they call winter tomatoes for the soup! Even if I did want to use them, it would be complicated to do that, because we need juice for Sopa de Fideo and there is no juice in them, at all.

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (3)

As for the noodles, this soup requires Fideo, angel hair or vermicelli. The interesting thing is that you don't cook them in the water or broth, but you fry them before adding the liquid instead. That's the secret of this dish! You will see how the noodles will absorb the liquid nicely, thickening the soup in the end.

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (4)

This Sopa de Fideo recipe is a feast of flavors. Tomatoes, cumin, cilantro, avocados, lime - everything in one bowl! A bowl of comfort and warmth. Talking about lime, you can add juice of one lime to the pot in the very end or cut into wedges and serve it like that so everyone would be able to decide if they want it. If you are not like me and want some heat - just add 1 jalapeno to a pot. You can serve this Mexican noodle soup as a side dish or a starter before the main meal. Or you can add some shredded chicken or beef and make it as a standalone filling soup. Enjoy! Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (5)

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (6)

Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup

CookingTheGlobe

Fideo soup is a tomato-based noodle soup coming from Mexico. This version is vegetarian and is supposed to be served before the main meal but feel free to add some meat and turn it into a filling standalone dish!

4.50 from 4 votes

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Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 people

Calories 363 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
  • 8 oz (225g) Fideo, vermicelli or angel hair noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 14 oz (400g) can chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, water mixed with chicken bouillon works too
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lime
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 avocado

Instructions

  • Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

  • Transfer the cooked onion and garlic into a blender. Add canned tomatoes, 1 cup of broth, cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth.

  • In the same soup pot heat 1 teaspoon of oil on a medium heat and cook noodles for about 2-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Noodles have to be golden brown, but be careful not to burn them! Stir!

  • Pour the tomato mixture into the pot. Add the remaining broth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

  • Add the juice of 1 lime into the pot or serve the lime cut in wedges individually. Garnish with cilantro and avocado slices. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Britt B.

    Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (7)
    This was delicious! Though I did find that I needed to add additional seasoning and tomatoes, it was a little weak and watery when following the recipe as is. I also added shredded chicken on top! It was great and I would definitely use this recipe again as a guide. ?

    Reply

    • Igor

      I'm happy to hear it, Britt!

      Reply

  2. Jessica

    This recipe sounds Americanized, which is not positive. My family from both my father and my mother is Mexican and never ever have we used black pepper/cumin/allspice/cayenne pepper to make traditional sopa de fideos. Both sides of the family from different states in Mexico and none have used those ingredients to make this soup.

    Reply

    • Igor

      Thank you for the information, Jessica. It may be Americanized as you say, I am not sure about it. So no seasoning at all then? 🙂

      Reply

  3. Chris

    Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (8)
    I made this recipe minus the cumin and allspice(because I didn’t have any) the liquid sounded like way too much so I cut it in half, using just 4 cups of chicken broth made it not too soupy, more like I’ve had it at Mexican restaurants, it was really delicious, I will definitely make it often.

    Reply

  4. Mario

    Great recipe. What some people do not understand is that the ingredients you use might not be exactly the ingredients I use. Sometimes it turns out perfect other times it does not. That's when you have to decide what spices to use to bring it to your liken. That is exactly what i did. I just needed a foundation to start. Just to let you know I'm Mexican and so is my wife. My mom made this soup many times when I was growing up. I must say this is right on cue. The way I go about it is look up recipes that my mother has made, which I loved and then I ask my mother how she has made it. She go's by memory not by written recipes.

    Reply

    • Mario

      Right on. I look for the foundation and then work from there. This recipe is right on just a little modification here and there.
      Thank you!!!

      Reply

  5. Micaela

    It was delicious! Thank you for the added spices. Despite background in culture, flavor is flavor and this recipe was fantástico! Thank you!

    Reply

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Sopa de Fideo - Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a Mexican sopa made of? ›

You'll have Mexican Sopa on the table in about 30 minutes and with just a few ingredients as well. You start with toasting the pasta in some oil, then add in the onion. After the pasta is toasted, add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, beef bullion cube. Garnish with plenty of cilantro when serving.

Why does my sopa de fideo dry up? ›

Once the pan is removed from the heat and as the dish sits, the pasta will eventually absorb all of the broth, making it become “dry”. If you prefer a more brothy sort of fideo, you will have to add a cup or two more of broth or water to offset the absorption process.

What does Sopa de Fideo mean in English? ›

Sopa de fideo (Spanish for "noodle soup"), also referred to as sopita de fideo, is a stock-based noodle soup that is a part of the cuisines of Spain, Mexico, and Cavite, a province in the Philippines.

What are fideo noodles made of? ›

Fideos are made of durum wheat and water and are then rolled out, dried, and cut to a thickness between angel hair and spaghetti (although I've seen pasta the thickness of spaghetti in some dishes).

What does Sopa de Fideo contain? ›

Sopa de Fideo is super quick and delicious and one of Mexico's most classic soup recipes! It's made with tomatoes, noodles, garlic, and broth and then you can add extra toppings as your heart desires.

What are the 4 ingredients that feature in many Mexican dishes? ›

Ingredients Used in Mexican Cuisine
  • Chile Peppers. One of the first things that may come to mind when you think of Mexican food are chiles, which makes sense considering chiles are indigenous to Mexico and have been part of the cuisine for thousands of years. ...
  • Beans. ...
  • Avocado. ...
  • Fats. ...
  • Tomatoes. ...
  • Cheese.
Jan 18, 2023

Should I boil noodles before adding to soup? ›

What you can do is half boil the pasta in the normal water, drain it, and then add it to your soup 5 / 10 minutes before it's done. Any soup I cook that requires noodles gets put in the same pot as the other ingredients. The noodles will have more flavor and it helps thicken up the soup for a heartier meal.

Should I cook pasta before adding to soup? ›

To ensure you get it just right, make sure the soup is nearly cooked before adding the pasta. Smaller pasta shapes soak up broth readily so ensure you serve the soup as soon as it's cooked. Alternatively, you could cook the pasta separately and add to the soup at the last moment.

Why does my fideo get mushy? ›

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.

Who invented sopa de fideo? ›

History: Sopa de fideo originated in Spain; however, after conquering Mexico the Natives put an authentic twist to the broth. Making it what we now have come to know as sopa de fideo. The name is exactly what it is, sopa means soup and fideo means noodle.

What country is fideo from? ›

1) The etymology of the word (see also Word of the Day, March 26, 2018) – fideo comes from Arabic fidáwš, adopted in the Iberian-Arabic variations in Spain during Muslim rule, which ended in the XV century. That means that both the thin pasta and the word were known in Spain back then.

What does sopa mean in Mexico? ›

[ saw-pah ] show ipa. nounSpanish. soup.

What does fideo mean in Mexican? ›

Simply put, fideos means “noodles” in Spanish.

Is fideo Italian or Mexican? ›

Fideo Seco is a comforting Mexican pasta dish inspired by my travels to Oaxaca. In this recipe, fideo noodles are toasted in oil to enhance their rich, nutty flavor, then slowly simmered in a luscious tomato broth infused with guajillo peppers.

Why is my fideo sticky? ›

Pasta sticking together occurs, because as noodles are boiled, they release starch, creating a sticky kitchen predicament, especially if your pot is too small or you are not using enough water.

What is the difference between caldo and sopa? ›

Caldo refers to the liquid resulting from the boiling of the meat and sopa includes the meat, vegetables and trimmings.

Is caldo and sopa the same thing? ›

"Sopa" is a noun which is often translated as "soup", and "caldo" is a noun which is often translated as "broth".

What is the difference between a tostada and a sopa? ›

As Aida De Acosta correctly stated, sopes are softer and thicker. They are made directly from masa (corn dough). Tostadas are usually made from old, dried tortillas that are fried (You can get baked ones now) and are crispy, crunchy and flat. The toppings are pretty similar.

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