Sopa Seca de Fideo (Mexican Dry Noodle Soup)

A recipe for Sopa Seca de Fideo (Mexican Dry Noodle Soup)! Toasted noodles are simmered in a chipotle-tomato sauce until tender for a quick and flavorful meal.

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Sopa Seca de Fideo is a comforting Mexican noodle dish similar to Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup), but the noodles are simmered until all the liquid has been absorbed. Overall, they come together in less than 30 minutes and hold up better for leftovers compared to the soup-based version.

Fideo noodles are toasted in oil until golden, then simmered with a blended chipotle-tomato mixture and chicken broth until just tender with no liquid remaining. Serve immediately with desired toppings such as avocado, cilantro, cheese and/or crema.

When toasting the fideos, keep an eye on them. They quickly turn from lightly toasted to burnt. Stir often, especially on the bottom and sides as the noodles simmer in the broth. They will easily stick to the bottom.

To make the Sopa Seca de Fideo vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.

While in season, I make the noodles with about 2 cups (350 grams) of diced, fresh tomatoes. During off season, simply swap for a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.

Adjust the salt to taste. You may need more or less depending on the salt content of the chicken broth.

This Sopa Seca de Fideo is mildly spiced with just one chipotle blended with the tomato mixture. For more of a kick, blend in a tablespoon or so of the adobo sauce or 2 chipotle peppers.

Compared to the soup version, these noodles hold up much better as leftovers. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notable Ingredients

Fideo is the Spanish word for noodle. For this dish, Fideos are thin, short noodles usually around an inch long. I have been able to find them in larger grocery stores and markets with Latin American and Middle Eastern ingredients.

If you cannot locate them, substitute with a thin spaghetti or angel hair broken into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Break them up in a bag or other controlled environment. Before I found the pre-packaged vermicelli, I often ended up with random pieces of angel hair flying across my kitchen. They can be found on Amazon (currently with a high shipping cost- try to find local if possible): La Moderna Fideo. The kids also enjoy this with little stars to make Sopa Seca de Estrellitas.

Queso Fresco is a crumbly, unaged cheese with a mild flavor. It is made with cows or a mixture of cows and goats milk. It is located in many larger grocery stores and markets featuring Mexican ingredients.

Sopa Seca de Fideo (Mexican Dry Soup) Recipe

Adapted from Aarón Sánchez

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5 from 4 votes

Sopa Seca de Fideo (Mexican Dry Soup)

A recipe for Sopa Seca de Fideo (Mexican Dry Noodle Soup)! Toasted noodles are simmered in a chipotle-tomato sauce until tender for a quick and flavorful meal. 

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chipotle, Mexican, Mexico, noodle, pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups (350 grams) diced tomatoes or a 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 small onion chopped, or 1/2 of a larger onion
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 chipotle en adobo
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 8 ounces (227 grams) Fideo or Angel Hair broken into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 2 cups (473 milliliters) chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For serving:

• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped or sliced avocado
• Queso Fresco
• Crema

Instructions

• In a blender, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle. Blend until smooth.
• In a large saucepan, drizzle the oil over medium low heat. Add the fideo noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
• Sit in the pureed tomato mixture, chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
• Once the liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring often, until all the liquid has been absorbed. This will take 12-15 minutes. Season with additional salt if needed- based on the salt content of your broth.
• Serve immediately with desired toppings such as cilantro, avocado, and Queso Fresco.