Sopa de Fideo is a true comfort food in South Texas. Every household has their special recipe! My kids ate thousands of bowls of fideo (pronounced fee-DEH-oh) when they were growing up. It was one of my favorite childhood dishes too!
There are two versions of Sopa de Fideo – A drier version called “sopa seca” and a brothy version that is more like a soup. The recipe is the same for both versions, except you add double the chicken stock for the brothy version. Another detail is to cook the fideo uncovered for the drier sopa seca version, and add the lid when you want the brothy version. I forgot to mention this in my video, but I do use the pan lid strategically in both recipes. Both versions are authientic, traditional and delicious!
Every Sopa de Fideo Recipe is Perfect!
Of course, there is no definitive recipe for Sopa de Fideo. However, every single cook makes it perfectly, according to the traditions in their family. Some people prefer brothy, soupy fideo, while other families like the creamy “drier” sopa seca version, where most of the liquid has been reduced. The recipe is exactly the same, except you add double the broth to the soupy version…that is the only difference!
You can make your fideo heartier by adding potatoes or cooked chicken. It may sound a little odd adding potatoes to noodles, but I assure you most local recipes call for papas con su fideo. If you don’t have cooked chicken, you can always add leftover cooked beef or cooked pork – even a few cubes of queso fresco or pan fried tofu wouldn’t be out of place. Sopa de Fideo is the basis of so many creative twists!
What Type of Vermicelli?
If you can’t find vermicelli noodles, you can always use small pasta such as star shaped pasta or alphabet pasta. Thicker noodles such as capellini or even spaghetti work too, but they will need to simmer longer. You can also use elbow macaroni with this same recipe but again, the cooking time will be longer.
Please note that this recipe calls for semolina or wheat vermicelli and not vermicelli made from rice. If you have a gluten free diet, perhaps you could try the rice vermicelli. If you experiment with rice vermicelli noodles, please drop me a line and let me know how your sopa turned out!
A few drops of freshly squeezed lime juice are a delicious seasoning for your Sopa de Fideo. Make sure to serve a bowl of lime wedges.
Sopa de Fideo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
2–3 tbsp. vegetable oil (30ml-45ml)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small potato, peeled and cubed (optional)
5–6 oz uncooked vermicelli, nested or cut shape (142g-100g)
2 cups chicken stock, room temperature* (.5lt)
1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic
1 fresh chile serrano
8oz cooked chicken (optional – 250g)
Garnish:
1 avocado, cut into cubes
Fresh cilantro, minced
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a 4 qt. (4lt) Dutch oven or straight sided sauté pan. Add the onion (and potato if desired) and allow to sauté until translucent. Add the uncooked fideo noodles and toss with the sautéed onion. Allow the noodles to toast over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Pour the chicken stock into the blender. Add the tomato, garlic, salt and pepper and puree. Return the fideo pan to the heat and add the puree. Bring to a simmer and add the fresh chile serrano (and chicken if desired.) Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and parsley.
Notes
*For brothy Sopa de Fideo, simply double the amount of chicken stock – 4 cups/1 lt.
If adding the optional chicken, count 68 more calories per serving
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