Mexican Sopa de Fideos
Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe—Sopa de Fideo is a hearty vegetarian tomato soup made with thin pasta, garlic, and jalapeno for a vibrant kick of flavor. It’s ready in 30 minutes, making it an easy and delicious cold-weather dish!
If there’s a chill in the air, we likely have a pot of soup on the stove. Chowders, stews, stocks and chilis – we love them all!
But nothing quite beats a classic broth soup loaded with tasty goodies when you need something ultra comforting… It’s like a warm hug in a bowl!
Sopa de Fideos is a simple dish that is the staple soup in Mexico. Similar to Chicken Noodle Soup, this rustic recipe is a typical go-to during the cooler months.
Easy Mexican Sopa de Fideo (Noodle Soup) Recipe
Mexican sopa is a vegetarian soup, so it is even lighter than Chicken Noodle. Essentially, it’s a thin tomato broth with short fine pasta in it. But although the soup is made with just a handful of pantry staples, each spoonful tastes delightfully vibrant and nourishing.
The depth of flavor in the recipe comes from frying (or toasting) the pasta before you boil it, so the soup has a rich nutty taste that balances the tangy tomato notes. We’ve also added a touch of interest to our version by adding cilantro and jalapeno to the pureed tomato broth.
It’s ready to serve in under 30 minutes, so this recipe is perfect for your winter weeknight meal plan!
Ingredients For Mexican Noodles
- Olive oil – or preferred neutral-flavored cooking oil for high heat
- Fideo noodles – or angel hair pasta broken into short pieces
- Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles – your choice of mild or spicy
- Onion – chopped
- Garlic – peeled
- Jalapeno – seeded
- Cilantro – chopped
- Vegetable broth – or bouillon and water
How to Make Mexican Noodles
First, set a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and noodles. Stir and cook the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the pasta is golden brown.
Pro Tip: If using angel hair pasta, break the dried noodles into 1 – 1 ½ inch segments before frying.
Meanwhile, place the Rotel and juices in the blender (or in a food processor.)
Add the chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the jar.
Then add the cilantro.
Cover and purée until smooth.
Get the Complete (Printable) Mexican Sopa de Fideo Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Once the noodles are browned, stir the vegetable purée into the pot.
Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to release the flavor from the produce.
Then add in the vegetable broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
Spoon the Mexican Sopa de Fideo into bowls and garnish with more fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- To make this a gluten-free Sopa de Fideo, use your favorite GF-friendly angel hair pasta. Just remember that GF pasta disintegrates faster than regular wheat pasta, so enjoy it immediately.
- Add cooked shredded chicken for a Mexican sopa de pollo with noodles.
- Want a spicier soup? Use hot Rotel and add an extra seeded jalapeno to the recipe.
- Prefer a milder soup? Use mild Rotel and use 1/2 of a seeded jalapeno – or omit it entirely.
Storage Suggestions
This recipe is terrific to make a day or so ahead! The flavors become richer as they sit together in the soup.
Let leftovers cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Note that the noodles will begin to lose their al dente-ness after 3 days or so.
You can also freeze Sopa de Fideo. Transfer the cooled leftovers to a freezer-safe container and wrap them in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before you reheat and enjoy!
Looking for More Scrumptious Soups? Be Sure to Also Try These Recipes:
- Tomato Potato White Bean Soup
- Healthy Crockpot Potato Soup with Chicken
- Low Carb Green Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
- Vegan Creamy Golden Vegetable Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Sopa de Fideo Recipe (Mexican Soup with Noodles)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces fideo noodles or angel hair pasta
- 20 ounces Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno seeded
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 8 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Set a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and fideo noodles. Stir and cook the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the pasta is golden brown. *If using angel hair pasta, break the dried noodles into 1 – 1 ½ inch segments before frying.
- Meanwhile, place the Rotel and juices in the blender. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Cover and purée until smooth.
- Once the noodles are browned, stir the vegetable purée into the pot. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to release the flavor from the produce, then add in the vegetable broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Made this today, was too lazy to go to the store, so used ingredients I already had. Only difference is I used Mexican style stewed tomatoes, with some fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, too. Used 2 Serrano chili peppers instead of jalapeno. And I didn’t have vegetable broth so used chicken broth instead. I also added some diced rotisserie chicken. My husband can’t stop raving about it, it’s pretty spicy but we both like spicy, although I wouldn’t mind it a little less. Anyway, it’s super easy and delicious, I’ll definitely make it again and will buy the correct ingredients, although my husband really likes my version.
This soup is the ultimate comfort food! Love how easy it is!
Wow! The flavors in this soup!! It sounds incredibly delicious!!
Any suggestions for a substitute for the cilantro?
Hi Sandi,
If you have access to the Mexican herb epazote, that would be the best choice. :)
This noodle soup is now my new favorite noodle soup – will forever be making this!