Recipes

Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)

July 16, 2012

The thin vermicelli-like noodles called fideos add starch and body to this elemental tomato soup from Patricia Quintana, chef-owner of Izote restaurant in Mexico City. This recipe first appeared in our August/September 2012 issue with Patricia Quintana's article Soup Country.

Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Soups and Stews

Mexican Noodle Soup (Sopa de Fideo)

The thin vermicelli-like noodles called fideos add starch and body to this elemental Mexican tomato soup.

Yield: serves 6-8

Ingredients

¹⁄₄ cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 oz. fideos (available at mexgrocer.com) or vermicelli noodles, broken into 2" pieces
8 oz. queso fresco (available at mexgrocer.com), crumbled
¹⁄₄ cup very thinly shredded parsley leaves
1 (28-oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand

Instructions

Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and are smooth, about 1 hour. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl, and then pour soup back into pot; return pot to heat.
Add noodles to soup and cook, stirring, until al dente, about 4 minutes. To serve, divide cheese among serving bowls, and ladle soup over top; garnish with parsley.