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Sopa de Fideo is a super classic Mexican staple, and today I’m sharing my Abuela’s recipe! You guys loved her sopa de arroz (Mexican rice), and this recipe is equally as good!
This is somewhat of a “struggle meal” as it’s extremely affordable to make, but also tasty and comforting. My Abuela made this for us a lot as kids, and to this day I get such a nostalgic feeling every time I have it.
What is Sopa de Fideo?
Sope de Fideo is a Mexican soup made with lightly toasted thin pasta noodles in a delicious and comforting tomato broth. I prefer my sopa de fideo more on the thin soupy side, but some people like it thicker and less soupy.
For a lot of Mexicans, this dish brings so many wonderful memories of our childhood. It reminds me so much of the authentic Mexican flavors I grew up eating, and I always think of my Abuela!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s SO easy! You don’t need that many ingredients, and it can be ready in 20 minutes.
- It’s child-friendly! Children love this dish, especially when made with alphabet or star shaped pasta!
- It can be prepped and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and reheated for quick meals.
- It’s extremely affordable
- This can be used as a base for a heartier meal- just add ingredients like potatoes and/or ground beef to make it a complete meal!
Ingredients
- Fideo pasta- also called vermicelli (not to be confused with vermicelli rice noodles). It comes in 7 oz bags at Walmart for 50 cents! If you can’t find it, you can also use angel hair pasta and break it into smaller pieces, or buy it on Amazon (but it’s kinda pricey).
- Neutral oil– a little oil to lightly fry the fideo, which brings out a nice toasty flavor. Any neutral oil is fine but I recommend avocado or olive oil.
- Tomatoes, garlic, and onion- blended to make a tomato salsa.
- Canned tomato sauce- I use half a can of El Pato hot tomato sauce for a couple reasons- when tomatoes are not in season, a little help from canned tomato sauce is needed for more flavor. I also prefer using the hot tomato sauce for a little spicy kick. It’s still mild in flavor overall, but with a tiny bit of heat.
- Seasoning- you only need salt and Knorr chicken bouillon for this recipe.
- Water– you can use chicken broth instead of water here, but I prefer using Knorr chicken bouillon + water simply because it’s convenient and I always have it.
- Cilantro- not required, but this definitely adds some great flavor!
Optional toppings
- Corn tortilla with mayo- this is my preferred way to eat fideo.
- Cheese– it’s pretty common to add cheese! Queso fresco or cotija are great options.
- Cilantro- cilantro is already boiled into the soup, but some fresh chopped cilantro to finish always nice.
- Crema- aka sour cream, this is how my family ate fideo growing up.
- Bananas- ok, I know it sounds weird but this is actually not that uncommon in Mexico. My family grow up eating fideo with bananas too. Try it!
More easy soup recipes
If you like this recipe, try some of my other easy soup recipes on the blog!
Sopa de Fideo
Ingredients
- 1 (7 oz package) fideo pasta , or angel hair pasta, broken up
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, avocado oil recommended
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce, El Pato hot tomato sauce recommended for a little kick
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 small onion
- 4 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
- 6-7 cups water
- salt to taste, 1/2 tsp recommended
- cilantro
Optional Toppings/Sides
- cilantro
- sour cream
- banana slices
- tortilla with mayo
- queso fresco or cotija cheese
Instructions
- Combine the roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, and Knorr chicken bouillon and blend until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of tomato sauce. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and remove leftover solids.*If you prefer a thicker texture, don't strain the tomato sauce. I like my fideo more on the soupy, thinner side so I always strain it.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fideo pasta and move it around frequently for 2-3 minutes until it becomes a light brown color.
- Pour in the blended tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of canned tomato sauce (I recommend El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce for a little spicy kick). Cook for 1-2 minutes and adjust the heat if needed.
- Add 6 to 7 cups of water and stir to combine. Taste the soup and add salt as needed. I add about 1/2 tsp. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the cilantro, then cover and reduce the heat to low for 10 minutes or until the fideo is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with your choice of toppings. My family eats it with bananas and sour cream, but I also love it with a corn tortilla and mayo!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Such complex flavors and so simple to make! Can’t get more comforting than this dish! Try this if you want a quick meal that everyone will enjoy. 11/10
I add thin sliced potato and ground beef. I also use the Pato tomato sauce . It does make me feel like I am back home with my mom and dad and family. Thank you for the beautiful memories.
My husband is Mexican and he agreed that this is exactly the recipe we needed for making some sopita for our kids! 10/10 would definitely recommend.❤️
My college roommates mom made this for me when she came down to visit.
I’d never had Sopa de fideo before and she packed it up for me while I was on my way to a night shift at the hospital.
It was the most thoughtful gesture and it was so delicious I teared up.
I saw this recipe and made it for nostalgic purposes and it tasted exactly as I remember!
10/10 will be making often
Super delicious and hits the spot especially on a cold chilly day! I had never tried it with the pato sauce and it’s my go to now 💖
Soda de Fido, my all time favorite childhood meal. Still eat it today and we pass this yummy meal to each generation. 🤗😋
Loved this growing up. It was always so comforting. Making it myself as an adult just brought back that warm fuzzy feeling and comfort from when my mom would make it for me.
My fav since childhood! Some people think it’s weird but I love putting some bananas in it! Delicious 🤤🍜
I have made this 3X. So comforting! Topped with sour cream and hot sauce❤️Thank you!
Not a huge fan of Fideo, we ate it a little too often growing up, but this one I could eat everyday!!!
This recipe is amazing, it is so close to my mother’s, and I’ve enjoyed it so much. My mom always added peas and carrots to give it a little extra flavor. Thank you for the touch of cilantro!