Sopa de fideo is one of the most traditional soups in Mexico, and is usually part of the midday meal in households and in small family restaurants called fondas. As a kid, I loved coming home from school and finding that my mom had made this soup. It is one of the easiest meals to make, and the kids love it. It’s a must-have lunchtime soup in many Mexican homes.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'The Mexican Home Kitchen Japanese Kitchen' by Mely Martinez. Buy the full book on Amazon. 

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　10 oz. fresh plum tomatoes, chopped

　　1 large clove garlic or 2 small cloves, chopped

　　½ cup chopped white onion

　　2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

　　8 ounces fideo noodles or vermicelli pasta

　　6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

　　Salt and pepper, to taste

　　

Garnishing and to serve

Crumbled queso fresco

　　Diced avocado

　　

Step 1

Place the tomatoes, garlic, and onion in a blender, and blend until smooth. Using a colander, strain this mixture into a bowl and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and add the fideo noodles. Slightly fry the noodles, stirring often, until they have a light golden-brown color, 3 to 4 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the noodles are tender, about 8 minutes. Don’t overcook the noodles. Season the soup with the salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with the queso fresco and diced avocado.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Roasting the tomatoes first will add an even deeper flavor to the soup.

　　You can also add diced vegetables, like peas and carrots, in step 3 after you add the chicken broth.

　　Excerpted from The Mexican Home Kitchen. Text and Photography © 2020 by Mely Martínez. First published in 2020 by Rock Point, an imprint of The Quarto Group. Buy the full book from Amazon or Quarto.