Sopa de Fideo

Name: Sopa de Fideo
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 6 to 8 plum tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), roughly chopped; 3 large cloves garlic; 1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped; 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 7 ounces short fideo noodles (see Cook's Note); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; Queso fresco and crema, for serving, optional

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Level: Easy

Total: 40 min
Active: 15 min

Yield: 6 servings

Fideo soup always reminds me of my mom; this would be her go-to soup whenever I was sick or needed to be cheered up. It's an easy and comforting Mexican dish made with a tomato base and toasted noodles. Fideo refers to the type of noodle used — a short, thin noodle, similar to a broken spaghetti or vermicelli. The soup is also known as sopa aguada and can be made with different noodles. My favorite type growing up were little pasta stars similar in shape to pastina.

Level: Easy

Total: 40 min
Active: 15 min

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

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6 to 8 plum tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), roughly chopped

3 large cloves garlic

1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup vegetable oil

7 ounces short fideo noodles (see Cook's Note)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Queso fresco and crema, for serving, optional

Directions

Blend the tomatoes, garlic and onion with 3 cups of the chicken broth in a blender until pureed; set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the noodles and toast, constantly stirring and moving them around, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes; be careful not to let them burn.
Place a mesh strainer over the pot and pour in the tomato mixture; discard the pulp and seeds. Cook until the tomato mixture is simmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and remaining 3 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so the noodles don't stick. Reduce the heat and simmer until the noodles are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy the soup by itself or top with queso fresco and crema.

Cook’s Note

Mexican fideo noodles are short and thin. If you can only find long fideo noodles, just break them up into 1-inch pieces. Or substitute a different short noodle, such as shells, elbows or alphabet noodles. Short noodles are recommended because they toast more evenly. It's best to eat the soup the day it's made, because the noodles will absorb the broth and thicken the soup. If you have leftovers, heat them up with some leftover chicken broth or water to thin the soup back down.