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This Sopa de Fideo recipe, aka Mexican noodle soup, is done in 30 minutes and requires only 6 ingredients. It’s spectacular how much flavor is achieved with so few ingredients! This versatile soup is the perfect canvas for making it your own—mix in leftover shredded chicken for a boost of protein or top it with salty Cotija and fresh cilantro.
Traditionally, fresh tomatoes are charred and then puréed to create the base of this soup, for a quicker more approachable version I use canned diced fire roasted tomatoes. To add even more toasty flavor, I toast the fideos in a bit of oil before they’re cooked in the tomato broth. These simple techniques are what make the soup so flavorful without being time consuming.
Ingredient Notes
- Pantry: olive oil, salt and pepper are needed here. I call these “free ingredients” since most people have these on hand. So they don’t count towards the total number of ingredients in this recipe.
- Aromatics: you’ll need a yellow or white onion and a few cloves fresh garlic.
- Cumin Seeds: one of my favorite ingredients to cook with! Using cumin seeds instead of ground cumin adds a very specific savoriness and earthiness to the dish that you just don’t get from ground cumin. If you’re buying them for the first time, good news, I’ve got a ton of recipes that you can use them in. Try them in my Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette to start.
- Canned diced fire roasted tomatoes: fire roasted tomatoes add a “char” flavor without having to char them yourself. Easy!
- Broth: vegetable or chicken broth will work here.
- Fideo: you can find fideo noodles at most Mexican markets. You can sometimes find them in a grocery stores labeled as “Fideo Cut Spaghetti.” They’re also available online. If you can’t find fideo pasta, you can substitute with regular angel hair or spaghetti pasta broken into 1-inch pieces.
Here’s How Easy It Is to Make
- Start by cooking the onions, garlic and cumin seeds in olive oil until the onions are softened.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a blender, then add the canned tomatoes and their juices. Blend it together until it’s smooth.
- In the now-empty pot, toast the fideos in a splash of oil until they are golden brown. Make sure you stir the fideos frequently so they don’t burn!
- Very carefully add the pureed tomato mixture to the fideos (it will splatter so wear an apron!). Stir everything to combine and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the broth and water. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the fideos are tender, this will only take 5 minutes! Make sure you taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- I like to top each serving with Cotija and cilantro, but these are totally optional.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
This Soup is So Versatile
I’ve been making this soup recipe for years and personally, I wouldn’t change a thing. But here are some ideas for bulking it up a bit!
- Add some dice vegetables to soup such as green bell pepper, diced green beans, zucchini, shredded carrots or frozen peas.
- Add shredded cooked chicken and you’ve just made Sopa de Pollo con Fideo!
- Serve the soup with with diced avocado and lime.
- Add some smoky spiciness by adding a chipotle pepper in adobo to the blender with the canned tomatoes and cooked onion.
What to Serve with Sopa de Fideo
- Crispy baked Chicken Cutlets are a great way to add a bit of protein to this dinner.
- Make my favorite Guacamole Recipe!
- My Mexican Chopped Salad is bright, fresh and crunchy—the perfect balance to such a savory soup.
30-Minute Meal
Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
Appetizers
Easy Guacamole Recipe
Side Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad
Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
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Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups broth (low-sodium vegetable or chicken)
- 1 (7-ounce) bag fideo
For serving, optional
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add 1 chopped onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds; season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until softened, 6–8 minutes.
- Transfer onion mixture to a blender with 2 cans diced tomatoes (and their juices) and blend until smooth, 1–2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty pot over medium. Add 1 bag fideos and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Carefully add blended sauce (it will splatter) and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer over medium and cook until pasta is al dente and soup has slightly reduced, 5 minutes.
- Season with salt (I add 1–1½ teaspoons salt) and black pepper, to taste. Serve with crumbled Cotija, fresh cilantro and cracked black pepper.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe article was most recently updated on January 20, 2025 with helpful tips, step-by-step photos of the process, and a video showing how to make the soup start to finish.
