This authentic Sopa de Fideo recipe is a classic Mexican noodle soup with a zippy tomato base, toasted vermicelli, and tons of savory flavor. It’s easy to customize (adding the protein and vegetables of your choice), it whips up in less than 30 minutes, and it’s hearty and satisfying comfort food.
During my time in law school, one of my closest friends and study partners was Mexican American. She made an absolutely delicious fideo soup!
We’d have afternoon-turned-into-evening-and-then-late-night study sessions holed up at the library or in a classroom on campus. But my favorite study sessions were at one of our houses.
When she came to my house I’d cook for us. It was usually things I could throw in the crockpot with minimal time and effort, like beef stew, Indian butter chicken, or chili. And when we had a study session at her house, she cooked!
One of her favorite things to make was sopa de fideo, a Mexican noodle soup recipe. It was something she was so familiar with making, she could easily whip it up in less than 30 minutes while I quizzed her on things like contract law and criminal proceedings in the state of Florida.
For her, fideo soup was pure comfort food from her youth, and she passed her love of it on to me. With a zippy tomato base, toasted noodles, and savory depth thanks to Mexican oregano and garlic, this quick and easy soup recipe is sure to become a favorite.
The best part is, this is a very customizable soup! I give instructions in this article on how to add chicken, beef, potatoes, and/or lots of other vegetables so you can really make it to suit your tastes.
Authentic Mexican Fideo Soup Recipe
Fideo means “noodles” in Spanish, and it specifically refers to this type of vermicelli-like noodle. It also refers to this soup in general.
Ingredients in Fideo Soup
- Roma tomatoes – lends a bright acidity to this soup
- Onion – for depth of flavor
- Garlic – this savory aromatic ingredient adds tons of flavor
- Olive oil – to add richness and toast the noodles
- Fideo – this noodle is similar to cut angel hair pasta; it's the star of the show
- Chicken stock – I like the depth of flavor and richness that chicken stock lends here, but you can also use vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian soup (or use water + bouillon instead of stock if that's what you have on hand)
- Salt – to season the soup
- Dried Mexican oregano – adds citrusy, floral, earthy undertones that really elevate this soup
- Cumin – adds an earthy warmth and depth of flavor
- Black pepper – to add a touch of piquancy
How to Make Sopa de Fideo
Step 1: Make the Tomato Puree:
- Prep the vegetables.
- Add the tomato, onion, and garlic to a food processor or blender.
- Puree until smooth.
Step 2: Toast the Noodles:
- Add the oil to a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Stir in the fideo.
- Cook until the noodles are toasted, stirring occasionally. This takes about 2 minutes; they should be light golden brown and smell nutty.
Step 3: Simmer:
- Stir in the tomato mixture.
- Bring up to a boil, and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. You can turn the heat down a bit if necessary.
- Add the chicken stock, oregano, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Bring back up to a boil, and cook (uncovered) until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat fideo soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Just know that the longer this soup sits, the softer the noodles become.
Pro Tip: This Soup Thickens as it Sits
When you reheat this soup, you can add a splash of water or stock to thin it out.
Variations on This Fideo Recipe
Sopa de Fideo con Pollo
This version of the classic Mexican noodle soup has chicken added to bump up the protein.
An easy way to add chicken to soup is to use rotisserie chicken. Just shred or chop the meat and stir it into the soup at the end to reheat the chicken.
Another way to make chicken fideo is to boil a chicken in water until it’s cooked. Then you can use the liquid to make the soup, and chop up the chicken to add to it.
Sopa de Fideo con Carne
This is also known as fideo soup with meat. Beef is a common option, and you can go for stew meat or ground beef.
To make fideo soup with stew meat:
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pot over medium-high to high heat. Once it’s hot, add the stew meat in a single layer and sear on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).
- Once the meat is seared, season it with salt and pepper and cover it by 2 to 3 inches with water.
- Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, turn down to simmer, and cook until the meat is tender (this usually takes about an hour).
- Once the meat is tender, you can make this fideo recipe as directed and use the beef cooking liquid to make the soup, and add the tender stew meat at the end to reheat it.
To make fideo soup with ground beef:
- If you use lean ground beef, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pot over medium-high to high heat. (Omit the oil if you use ground chuck.) Once it’s hot, add the ground beef, and use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and spread it out.
- Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside.
- Toast the noodles in the same pot, and proceed with the recipe as directed, adding the browned ground beef back in at the same time that you add the chicken stock.
Sopa de Fido con Papas
This is fideo noodle soup with potato!
The easiest way to make fideo con papas is to peel and chop 1 very large or 2 medium potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes while you start working on preparing the other ingredients. Then when you add the chicken stock, drain the cubed potato and add it at the same time.
Fideo Soup with Vegetables
In addition to potatoes, there are a ton of vegetables that go really well with this fideo soup recipe, such as:
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini
- Carrot
- Celery
- Green beans
To add these vegetables, after the fideo is toasted, use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a bowl and set aside for now. To the same pot that you toasted the noodles in, add any chopped vegetables you like and sauté over medium heat until the veggies start to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the noodles back in, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Adding Both Meat and Potato (or Other Vegetables) to Mexican Noodle Soup
Another great option is to add both meat (chicken or beef work well) and potato or other vegetables!
To do so, you can mix and match the methods outlined above to come up with your favorite version of this soup. My personal favorite is fideo with ground beef and potatoes.
Fideo Loco
Fideo Loco is something a little different, but it bears mentioning here. It’s a Tex-Mex version of sopa de fideo that contains taco meat, pinto beans, and potato. Fideo Loco is usually quick thick, similar to the consistency of chili. And it’s commonly served as a trendy “bowl”, garnished with ingredients such as crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, avocado, etc.
Fideo Recipe FAQs
Is Fideo the Same as Thin Spaghetti Noodles?
They're very simiar! Fideo is a type of Mexican pasta that’s similar to angel hair pasta, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti that’s broken into 1-inch pieces. If you can’t find fideo, these types of pasta are all good options if you break them into 1-inch pieces.
What is Mexican Oregano?
Mediterranean oregano, which is nicknamed the “pizza herb” is probably what you think of when you see a recipe that calls for oregano (and it’s likely that it’s what’s in your pantry right now!).
Mediterranean oregano (also sometimes referred to as “true oregano” or “Italian oregano”), which is popular in Greek and Italian cuisines, is a part of the mint family. As such, it is very aromatic and has a slight sweetness with woodsy, peppery, and minty undertones.
On the other hand, Mexican oregano, which is native to Central America and Mexico, belongs in the verbena family. Mexican oregano brings more floral, citrusy notes in addition to the grassy, earthiness that it shares with Mediterranean oregano. Marjoram is the closest substitute to Mexican oregano.
Where to Buy Mexican Oregano
Here in the U.S., many regular grocery stores only carry Mediterranean oregano (which is commonly just labeled “oregano”). Here are a few places where you can find Mexican oregano:
- Local Mexican or Latin American grocery stores
- Larger retailers that contain spices, such as Walmart; both McCormick and Badia make Mexican oregano and these brands are available across the nation
- Or buy Mexican oregano on Amazon
Why is My Fideo Mushy?
There are two reasons why fideo is mushy in soup:
- The noodles are overcooked.
- The soup has sat too long (because the noodles continue to absorb water).
If you want to avoid mushy fideo, avoid overcooking it and then eat it fresh once it's cooked.
More Quick and Easy Soup Recipes to Try
- 30 Minute Tom Kha Gai Recipe (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Zupa Ogórkowa (Polish Dill Pickle Soup Recipe)
- Quick and Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Ace Blender Cauliflower Soup
Let's Connect
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Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 pound Roma tomatoes quartered (about 5 Roma tomatoes)
- 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ⅓ cups fideo noodles about 7 ounces
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Garnish Ideas:
- Fresh lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
- Add the tomato, onion, and garlic to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Set aside for now.
- Add the oil to a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the fideo noodles and cook until they’re toasted, stirring occasionally. This takes about 2 minutes; they should be light golden brown and smell nutty.
- Stir in the tomato mixture, bring up to a boil, and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. You can turn the heat down a bit if necessary.
- Add the chicken stock, oregano, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Bring back up to a boil, and cook (uncovered) until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Serve with any garnishes you like.
Faith's Tips
- Nutritional Information: The nutrition information for this recipe was calculated without the optional garnish ideas.
- Fideo: Fideo is a type of Mexican pasta that’s similar to angel hair pasta, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti that’s broken into 1-inch pieces. If you can’t find fideo, these types of pasta are all good options if you break them into 1-inch pieces.
- Storage and Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat fideo soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Just know that the longer this soup sits, the softer the noodles become.
Where to Buy Mexican Oregano
Here in the U.S., many regular grocery stores only carry Mediterranean oregano (which is commonly just labeled “oregano”). Here are a few places where you can find Mexican oregano:- Local Mexican or Latin American grocery stores
- Larger retailers that contain spices, such as Walmart; both McCormick and Badia make Mexican oregano and these brands are available across the nation
- Or buy Mexican oregano on Amazon
Nutrition
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