This Mexican comfort food is something you're really going to want in your cooking arsenal. Discover how to make sopa de fideo and you'll understand how simple ingredients can turn into the most delicious meal.
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📖 About
We're not sure about you, but noodle soup reminds us of our childhoods.
Noodle soup is loved by everyone around the globe! It transforms from a comfort food when we're young into a hangover cure when we're older.
Learning about sopa de fideo reminded us of what we grew up eating, so we decided to create a recipe of our own and share it with you.
This Mexican noodle soup is slightly smoky, tangy, and full of simple flavors.
Make this recipe on a busy weeknight for dinner or as a quick lunch with sandwiches. It'll be a hit for the whole family!
What is it?
Sopa de fideo simply means noodle soup in English.
Although this specific type of noodle may have originated in Europe, it's prepared differently where it has taken roots in Mexico.
These thin noodles are first toasted in oil, then they're cooked in the sauce rather than boiled separately in water. This way, they have the chance to soak up all the delicious broth.
The base is made from fresh tomatoes (roasted to bring out even more flavor), garlic, and onion.
What's not to love? Simple, cheap, comforting, and delicious.
History
Sopa de fideo is said to have originated in Spain and is traditionally made with a base of chicken stock.
It was then introduced to places of Spanish conquest (like the Philippines and Central and South America).
From there, sopa de fideo transformed and took on special characteristics of each specific location. In Mexico, this soup is filled with a tomato and stock mix, and (occasionally) spices like cilantro, parsley, or cumin.
Serving
This dish is lightning fast to make and is best eaten straight off the stove! Plus, it's super easy to customize to suit your personal needs.
Try adding chopped jalapeños, bell peppers, squash, or beans to add a little more oomph to your dish.
This soup is delicious with a squeeze of lime, cubed avocado, queso fresco, and cilantro on top.
But, we mostly eat our soup as is — simple and fresh.
This sopa de fideo is 100% vegan and can be made without oil. We know you're going to love it!
🍲 Key ingredients
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
Noodles
What they are: we're using "fideo" in this recipe (Spanish for noodle). This type of thin noodle is typically made from durum wheat and water, cut short before packaging. You may know these noodles by another name — vermicelli (the difference being their length).
Taste: once toasted, the fideo takes on a nutty taste that adds to the overall depth of this dish. And, these noodles absorb the other flavors to blend this soup together (delish).
Health: since they're often fortified, these noodles contain close to 20% of your daily needs of vitamin B1 and folic acid.
Substitutions: if you're unable to find precut fideo noodles, you can always cut vermicelli noodles or angel hair short to use instead.
Tomato
Taste: making up the base of this Mexican noodle soup are ripe tomatoes. They lend a tangy, acidic flavor with a slight smokiness thanks to the roasting method in this recipe.
Health: being a healthy source of vitamin C, K, potassium, and zinc, tomatoes also possess the antioxidant lycopene. This nutrient has been linked to many health benefits, some of which include lowering your risk of heart disease! If you didn't already know, we love the heart.
Onion
Taste: adding a little bite and sweetness to the broth, onion is an ingredient that can't be missed! When you combine white onion with garlic, something magical happens (see for yourself).
Health: this superfood is revered for its high level of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. There is tons of research on the compound quercetin, which is linked to lowering blood pressure (whoa).
Garlic
Taste: garlic adds a punch to this noodle soup and makes for an irresistible broth. Plus, it's the perfect ingredient to add in for a sick day soup or hangover cure.
Health: before its use in the culinary world, garlic had its beginnings in medicine. There have actually been studies showcasing the potential benefit of garlic in reducing LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff).
🔪 Instructions
If you have questions about this sopa de fideo recipe, don't forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the tomatoes out evenly on the foil and roast for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Step 2: add the roasted tomatoes, chopped onions, and garlic cloves to a blender and mix on high until it is smooth. Prepare 6 cups of vegetable broth (we use bouillon cubes, but pre-made stock also works).
Step 3: heat a little oil over medium in a large stockpot. Add the dry noodles in and cook them while stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant.
Step 4: pour the tomato mixture through a strainer into the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente.
Step 5: season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve this Mexican noodle soup immediately with garnishes of your choice (we enjoy queso fresco, cubed avocado, cilantro, parsley, or lime). Enjoy!
🌡️ Storage
This soup is so easy to make and stores extremely well in the fridge or freezer. Make a double batch to have on-hand when you feel like a bowl of comforting ingredients!
Fridge
Your sopa de fideo recipe will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days if you keep it in an airtight container.
Freezer
Mexican noodle soup holds up well in the freezer for up to 1 month. We recommend storing it in single-serve containers that are freezer-safe. That way, the thawing and reheating process is easier for you.
Reheat
Heat this soup on your stovetop over low-medium for 2-3 minutes until warm. You can also heat it in the microwave in 30-45 second bursts. If it's frozen, thaw your noodle soup in the fridge overnight before heating.
💭 Pro tips
Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while perfecting this recipe for you:
- Use fresh tomatoes. It requires little extra effort, and canned tomatoes just don't compare.
- Add in herbs or spices. We think cumin, Mexican oregano, and parsley all make great additions to this simple dish.
- Toast the noodles. Don't miss this step! It's what gives sopa de fideo its traditional flavor.
- Adjust the broth. If you prefer a more liquid soup, just add more broth and vice versa.
🍴 Tasting notes
We love a warming bowl of Mexican noodle soup, and we know you will too. It's:
- Tangy
- Savoury
- Comforting
- Simple
If you try this soup recipe, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Sopa de Fideo
Equipment
- Blender
- Large stockpot
- Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes ($0.79)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.12)
- ½ medium white onion, chopped ($0.12)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.40)
- 1 ½ tbsp neutral vegetable oil ($0.17)
- 200 g (1 package) "fideo" pasta* ($0.22)
- Salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)
Garnishes optional
- Lime wedges
- Avocado
- Queso fresco
- Cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the tomatoes out evenly on the foil and roast for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway. If your tomatoes are large, you can cut them in half lengthwise to reduce the time.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, chopped onions, and garlic cloves to a blender and mix on high until smooth. Prepare 6 cups of vegetable broth (we use bouillon cubes, but pre-mixed stock also works). Set both of those aside.
- Heat 1 ½ tbsp oil over medium in a large stockpot. Add the dry noodles in and cook them while stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant.
- Pour the tomato mixture through a strainer into the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve this soup immediately with garnishes of your choice (we enjoy queso fresco, cubed avocado, herbs, or lime). Enjoy!
Notes
- Vermicelli, angel hair pasta, or thin spaghetti noodles all work in this recipe*.
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe-to-recipe.
- All prices are in USD.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty Mexican lunch and dinner ideas, check out our:
- Pozole rojo for an easy-to-make soup that's full of toasty red chiles, tender hominy, and bold Mexican flavors.
- Mexican black bean soup to try another authentic soup that is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!
- Jackfruit carnitas for a vegan version of a Mexican classic that will trick even the most avid meat-eaters.
- Tacos al pastor if you want to try one of the most popular taco recipes in Mexico (vegan style).
💬 FAQ
Sopa de fideo is easy to make ahead of time and stores well in the fridge or freezer.
Since fideo is made with wheat, this dish is not gluten-free.
If you do not have access to fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes will work as a substitute (although you won't get the same level of freshness).
You can use any noodles you have on hand. Some common replacement noodles are vermicelli, angel hair, or thin spaghetti.
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