Name: Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 100 g Fideo Noodles, broken into short pieces if needed; 250 g Tomato, roughly chopped; ½ Onion, roughly chopped; 2 clove Garlic, peeled; 1½ tbsp Neutral Oil, for toasting the noodles; 4 cup Water, for the soup; ¾ tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Black Peppercorns, freshly ground; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped; 1 tsp Lemon Juice, fresh, optional finish

30 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Blend the tomato, onion, garlic, and a little of the measured water until smooth.
Heat the oil in a pot and toast the vermicelli, stirring often, until it turns lightly golden.
Pour in the blended tomato mixture and cook until the raw aroma softens and the color deepens.
Add the remaining water, salt, and black pepper, then simmer until the noodles are tender.
Finish with fresh coriander and a little lemon juice if desired, then serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The noodles should be tender but not mushy, and the broth should remain light and spoonable.

Getting it right

Tip

Toast the vermicelli evenly before adding liquid; this gives sopa de fideo its characteristic nutty flavor.

What to serve it with

Serve as a light starter or simple dinner with avocado slices or warm tortillas.

Common mistakes

The noodles turn to mush.: Fideo cooks in minutes once the liquid goes in. Taste from about six minutes and pull it off while the noodles still have a little resistance — they keep softening in the hot broth.
The soup tastes raw and sharp.: Cook the blended tomato down before adding the water, until it darkens and smells sweet rather than green. That step is the difference between sopa de fideo and noodles in tomato water.

Substitutions

Fideo Noodles — Use thin wheat vermicelli or similar short soup noodles; avoid sweet dessert vermicelli preparations.

Storing and reheating

Best the day it is made. It keeps two days in the fridge but the noodles swell and drink the broth; add water when reheating. If you want to make it ahead, cook the tomato base and add fresh fideo when you serve.

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Ingredients