Sopa de Fideo

What is Sopa de Fideo?

Sopa de fideo is a Mexican soup made with thin toasted noodles, broth, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. 

Fideos means “noodles” in Spanish. And Sopa is soup. Fideo is actually a particular kind of noodle; it’s a short thin vermicelli-like pasta.

You’ll take those noodles and toast them until they’re golden brown, then simmer them in a simple and quick to make tomato broth to make a delicious comfort food meal.

If you can’t find fideo, you can substitute angel hair pasta, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti that’s been broken into small pieces.

How to make

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

First, you’ll make the sauce by blending fresh Roma tomatoes, onion, jalapeno or bell pepper, garlic, bouillon, and 1 cup water to a blender.

Blending raw onions and garlic, rather than cooking them first, gives the soup a light bright flavor.

For the bouillon, you can use your favorite. I use Better than Bouillon vegetable base to keep the soup vegan and vegetarian. Chicken base or even their no chicken flavors will work. Powdered bouillon works great as well. Knorr chicken bouillon is the classic flavor to add to this soup, and the one that many people grew up with.

Next, heat the oil in a large pot, and add the noodles and toast until dark in color, about 5 minutes.

Toasting the noodles adds flavor as well as color to the soup. But it also keeps them from sticking in the soup.

Add diced small potatoes, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add the pureed sauce to the pot with water and the can of El Pato tomato sauce.

El Pato Tomato sauce adds nice heat. Use your favorite kind (with jalapeno, Hot, or jalapeno sauce) or, if you don’t want any heat in the soup, use plain canned tomato sauce.

Cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Let soup simmer until potatoes are soft and noodles are cooked.

Soup will be thick, if you want a thinner soup, add in more water or broth to reach desired consistency. This thicker soup is called Sopa Seca de Fideos. So it’s up to you how think you want it to be.

Serve soup, garnishing with chopped cilantro, chopped white onions, queso fresco, and sour cream or crema. Serve with fresh lime wedges and warm tortillas on the side for dipping.

Storage and make ahead

Package up any leftover sopa de fideo with potatoes in an airtight container after letting them cool completely. Store in the fridge for 5 days. It’s best reheated on the stovetop or the microwave. The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, and the soup will get thicker, so you’ll want to add broth or water when reheating it to thin it out.

I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers because the noodles don’t hold up very well.

If you want to make the blended tomato sauce base ahead of time, it can be kept in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving suggestions

Think of this as a classic tomato soup, but with more gumption. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich. Or give it a Mexican twist and serve quesadillas.

It’s traditionally served with warm flour tortillas so that you can dunk them in the soup.

And, of course it’s fun to top it with your favorite toppings!

Is sopa de fideo healthy?

Yes, I think this soup can fit nicely into a healthy lifestyle. It’s filled with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and garlic. So, you’ll be getting nutrients like Vitamin C, Potassium, Lycopene, and Magnesium.

Broth based soups help hydrate you and keep you full.

You can also use whole wheat pasta to make this a little healthier.

Changes to the recipe

Like I said earlier, everyone has their own special take on this nostalgic comfort food. Feel free to add any spices you like, like cumin, oregano, or chili powder. Add in some tomato paste to thicken the broth.

Use more veggies like zucchini, carrots, nopales, tomatillos, chayote, or squash.

Add in more protein with some white beans, black beans, shredded chicken, or leftover carne asada.

Want more authentic Mexican recipes?

Be sure to check out my pasta espagueti, flan recipe, Esquites, and Roasted Tomato Salsa.