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Mom’s sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup) has been a quick and simple family favorite for generations!

Sopa de fideo served in a blue bowl.

Any Easy Soup to Love!

Sopa de fideo is a thin Mexican noodle soup we’ve made our entire life!

The noodle used is called Fideo, which is similar to angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti. Our mom has made us this Mexican soup using fideo for as long as we can remember, and we love that it’s simple, delicious and comes together in minutes.

Why We love Sopa

  • A dinner classic. This sopa de fideo has become a classic Mexican dinner in our home that the whole family loves. It can also be served as a side dish alongside warm corn tortillas.
  • Handful of ingredients. It’s not only delicious but requires only 5 ingredients.
  • Inexpensive and filling. And with the noodles being so cost-effective, it’s also a great meal when you’re trying to pinch pennies or use some pantry staples.
Two bags of fideo noodles.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or use olive oil to toast the noodles
  • 1 (7-ounce) package fideo noodles – If you canโ€™t find it, use thin spaghetti or vermicelli noodles. Just break the pasta into 1-inch pieces and cook as directed or make sopa de letres and replace the fideo with alphabet noodles.
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce – helps create the delicious tomato soup base
  • 24 ounces chicken broth – or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup (or chicken bouillon with water)
  • ยฝ-1 cup Mexican cheese – or your favorite shredded cheese
  • garlic salt with parsley flakes – season to help round out the flavor of the dish
  • black pepper season to taste

How to Make Sopa de Fideo

  1. PASTA. Add 3ย tablespoons oil to a medium pot and cook on LOW-MEDIUM heat.
    • Add 1ย (7-ounce) fideo and cook until noodles are coated in oil and have started to turn golden brown.
  2. SOUP. Add 2ย (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce and 24ย ounces broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are soft.
  3. SERVE. Add ยฝ-1ย cup cheese, garlic salt, and pepper and stir until combined. Serve warm. Top with chopped avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkle of queso fresco, and fresh cilantro if desired.
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    4.99 from 270 votes

    Sopa de Fideo

    By: Lil’ Luna
    This quick, simple, and delicious sopa de fideo (noodle soup) is a family favorite. It's cheesy and flavorful!
    Servings: 5
    Cook: 20 minutes
    Total: 20 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 (7-ounce) bag fideo pasta
    • 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
    • 24 ounces chicken broth, low sodium
    • ยฝ-1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded
    • garlic salt, with parsley flakes
    • pepper

    Instructions 

    • Add 3ย tablespoons oil to a medium pot and cook on LOW-MEDIUM heat. Add 1ย (7-ounce) fideo and cook until noodles are coated in oil and have started to brown.
    • Add tomato sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are soft.
    • Add 2ย (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce and 24ย ounces broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are soft.
    • Add ยฝ-1ย cup cheese, garlic salt, and pepper and stir until combined. Serve warm.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g, Calories: 49kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 575mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 0.01g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 78IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 0.2mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Recipe FAQ

    • Add shredded chicken for a heartier fideo soup.
    • Add veggies like peas, zucchini, and carrots.
    • Infuse extra flavor by sauteeing onion or garlic in the oil before adding the fideo.
    • Make this sopa de fideo recipe a richer flavor by pureeing roasted tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.
    • Spice it up with jalapeno or chili powder.
    • Keep leftover Mexican noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
    • Store leftovers in the freezer for 3-4 months. Keep in mind that the texture of the noodles will change, but the soup will still be delicious.

    For More Mexican Soup Recipes:

    About Kristyn

    My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

    So Easy & So Yummy

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    4.99 from 270 votes (232 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    76 Comments

    1. Alfonso Cisneros says:

      5 stars
      Thank you

    2. Tina Proctor says:

      5 stars
      I love it! I have these ingredients on hand ALL the time so it was an easy fix!!! It is so yummy and simple! We did use mozzarella cheese instead of Mexican… but we’ll try that next time!

    3. H. Renรฉe says:

      5 stars
      Way thicker than I’ve ever had fideo before but I like it. It’s filling enough to be dinner vs just an appetizer. The taste is on point too, especially with the addition of some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Absolutely Delicious. The soup can easily be thinned out to desired consistency by adding either water or more chicken broth. I’d suggest doing so after noodles have cooled though. This way they won’t absorb too much of the additional liquid. And of course doing so will mean needing to adjust your seasonings to taste. Also as an optional brightening agent, don’t forget the acid via a lime or two! I’ll definitely be making this again!

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Thanks for the feedback! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

    4. Vera Moore says:

      5 stars
      I have the same brand you show for your fideo, but it says Vermacelli instead? Is this the same but called differently? I’m not sure, but I fried them and just waiting to add to my rice-cooker soup base.

    5. Susan M says:

      5 stars
      Delicious! Made it 2 times in the past 3 days. The first time I made it as written and it was pretty thick (but still yummy). Today I added 32 oz of chicken broth instead of 24, and it was definitely soupier than the first time which I really liked. My fiancรฉ and I mixed in some sour cream, and it was perfection. Thanks for sharing this simple, but awesome recipe! ๐Ÿ™‚

    6. Kate says:

      Iโ€™m really confused, was this recipe recently changed? Iโ€™ve been following this recipe for a while now and I couldโ€™ve sworn it was only 1 can of tomato sauce and only 12oz of chicken broth.

      Now I see 2 cans of tomato sauce and 24oz of broth. Someone tell me Iโ€™m not losing my mind lol

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        We did update the recipe not long ago. We’re constantly retesting and keeping our recipes up to date! ๐Ÿ™‚

    7. S watson says:

      Just made this, served it with Frenches fried onions sprinkle on top for my husband. He really enjoyed it, I found it a bit rich, but loved the texture. Next time I’ll serve it with a simple salad to break up the richness. I followed above tip and used a skillet, also heated up the broth a little before adding. Loved the texture. Thank you

      1. Tina Proctor says:

        French fried onions? I never would’ve thought of that! Yes a salad would be great on the side! I’m definitely going to try both next time!!!

    8. SandraGonzales says:

      LOL this is NOT โ€œsopa de fideoโ€.

    9. Shana Chambers says:

      5 stars
      Yummy quick comfort food. Made this for my 15 year old home sick with jalapeรฑo tomato sauce. She calls it Mexican Ramen. Yummy ๐Ÿ˜‹

    10. Christine says:

      Hi Krysten. What type of Mexican cheese do you recommend with this recipe? And do you have a preferred brand of fideo? Iโ€™m fortunate to live near a Hispanic grocery store that has a wide selection of both.
      Thanks in advance for your advice.