Sopa de Pollo con Fideo, a simple Mexican Chicken Noodle soup that comes together quickly and has great depth of flavor. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese and leafy cilantro for a craveable anytime dinner.
What is Sopa de Pollo con Fideo ?
Sopa de Pollo con Fideo is a tomato-based Spanish chicken noodle soup. Many versions feature a vibrant broth made with tomato paste and saffron. My version is a bit different and features a cumin-infused tomato broth and toasted fideo pasta. This chicken noodle soup is a part of Spanish, Mexican, and Tex-Mex cuisines.
Traditionally, this soup is made by charring fresh tomatoes then puréeing them to create a light yet flavorful broth. For a quicker version, I opted for canned diced fire roasted tomatoes.
To add even more toasty flavor, short durum wheat noodles (fideos) are toasted in oil before being cooked in the tomato broth.
There are many variations of Sopa de Pollo con Fideo, including this delicious Puerto Rican recipe, a Cuban version and a gorgeous Mexican version.
What is Fideo and Where Can I Find it?
Fideo simply means “noodle” in English and refers to a specific type of noodle resembling 1-inch-long thin spaghetti. You can find fideo noodles at most Mexican markets and often in major grocery stores labeled as “Fideo Cut Spaghetti.”
If you can’t find fideo pasta, you can also use dried angel hair or spaghetti pasta broken into 1-inch pieces. Other small pasta shapes like shells and macaroni will also work, but I recommend using fideos if possible.
Ingredients Needed
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- cumin seeds – use any leftovers in my Cheese Biscuits!
- kosher salt and black pepper
- canned diced fire roasted tomatoes
- chicken stock or broth (beef broth is also delicious)
- fideo vermicelli noodles
- shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this)
- frozen peas (diced poblano or green bell pepper, zucchini, or broccoli are all great alternatives)
- Cotija cheese & cilantro for serving
How to Make Sopa de Pollo con Fideo
- Cook onions, garlic and cumin seeds in olive oil until the onions are softened.
- Purée onion mixture with canned tomatoes (and their juices) to create a smooth and flavorful tomato sauce.
- Toast the fideo pasta in the pot with some oil until golden brown (toasting the noodles adds flavor!).
- Stir puréed tomato mixture into pot with pasta and cook two minutes. Stand back, it will splatter! This step infuses the pasta flavor and concentrates the sauce a bit.
- Add broth and water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until fideos are tender.
- Stir in chicken and peas and cook until heated through. Season soup to tast.
- Serve the sopa de pollo con fideo with Cotija cheese.
Sopa de Pollo con Fideo
Description
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (7-ounce) bag fideo vermicelli pasta
- 1 pound shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add onions, garlic and cumin seeds; season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 6–8 minutes.
- Transfer onions mixture to a blender with canned tomatoes and juices and blend until smooth, 1–2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty pot over medium. Add fideo 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 broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer over medium; cook until pasta is al dente and soup has slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and peas and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Season soup with salt (I add 1–1½ teaspoons salt) and black pepper to taste. Serve with crumbled Cotija, fresh cilantro, and cracked black pepper.
