What Serve With Sopa De Fideo
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Sopa de fideo is a low-lift Mexican-style soup consisting of toasted fideo noodles in a base made of pureed tomato, onion, and garlic. If you love chicken noodle or tomato soups, then consider this version as its fabulous cousin. Toasting the noodles until lightly golden brown is the first important step to this staple dish. I remove the noodles before adding the tomato base to the pot, where it will reduce and develop flavor. It’s a fragrant and simple soup you can turn to in the winter via canned tomatoes or summer with tomatoes off the vine.
How To Make Sopa De Fideo
Make sure your oil is hot so once the pasta hits the pan, it will start to fry. You don’t want super-dark golden brown noodles. They should be kissed with a little golden touch! It will bring out a toasted aroma and more pronounced flavor against the soup's broth. And although this feels odd to do with pasta, it’s very common in Mexican cuisine.
I found it was also common to puree the raw ingredients for the soup base instead of finely chopping everything and sautéing in oil. The mixture should be as smooth you can get it. Since the pasta won’t be in the pot at this point to act as a little barrier to the oil, you’ll want to slowly pour the mixture in to avoid splatter. You can also do this off heat! I like to cover the pot with a splatter screen. But you can use a lid and leave a small crack for steam to escape.
Definitely add more than what’s listed if you really love cumin and coriander. I add the broth after 10ish minutes of cooking and reducing the base. The mixture may be cloudy with tiny specks of onion floating about. You can strain through a fine-mesh strainer if you want a clearer broth.
The fideo will cook in the broth until tender and soft. It’s okay if they cook past the al dente stage.
I love serving this with a little crumbly cojita or queso fresco, a squeeze of lime juice, and topped with fresh cilantro. The lime and cilantro brighten up the soup and the cheese gives this a crumbly soft texture that pairs well with noodles.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Allow the soup to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Slowly reheat the soup over medium-low heat until warmed through.
extra-virgin olive oil or neutral oil
fideo or vermicelli, broken into 1" pieces
kosher salt, divided
white onion, finely chopped
large or 4 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
(14-oz.) can whole tomatoes
ground coriander
ground cumin
store-bought or homemade low-sodium chicken broth
Crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges, for serving
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