Sopa de Fideo Recipe
Recipe development by Elisa Garza, MBA, RD2Be
Food photography and copywriting by Isabel Vasquez Larson RD, LDN
Sopa de Fideo o Estrellitas is a dish that instantly takes me (Elisa) back home to the 956, the Rio Grande Valley. I have sweet memories of coming home from school and enjoying my abuela’s fideo—even on a hot Texas day!
This recipe is packed with flavor and nutrients from tomato, garlic, onion, bouillon, lime, cilantro, and, of course, cultura.
What You’ll Need
Besides the obvious pasta, this recipe requires a few other ingredients. Those are:
Garlic
Canola oil
Onion
Water or chicken broth
Tomato bouillon
Chicken bouillon, only if you’re using water or unsalted chicken broth
Canned tomatoes
Cooked chicken meat
If you don’t have fideos on hand or you simply want to mix it up, you can use star-shaped pasta.
We prepared this recipe with chicken, but you can make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using veggie bouillon and/or veggie broth instead of the chicken versions.
If you are using chicken and you want to save some time, consider buying a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Optionally, you may also want to garnish your sopa de fideo with cilantro, lime, diced onion, diced jalapeño, and queso fresco.
You’ll also need a blender to give the soup the perfect consistency. You’ll blend a few ingredients before heating them, so it doesn’t have to be a heat-resistant blender.
How to Make Sopa de Fideo
1. Heat the oil, garlic, and onion.
First off, you’ll need a large pot.
Add the canola oil to the pot and heat it over medium heat.
When the oil is glistening, add a couple garlic cloves and diced onion.
Sauté them until they’re lightly golden, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t burn.
2. Blend.
As the garlic and onions cook, it’s time to break out your blender.
Combine 2 cups of the water (or broth), tomato bouillon, chicken bouillon (if using), another garlic clove, and the canned tomatoes in your blender, and blend them until they’re smooth. Set aside for now.
3. Brown the pasta.
After the onions and garlic are aromatic and lightly browned, add the pasta to the pan. Stir it often until it turns a golden brown color. This is called toasting or browning pasta.
If you’ve never toasted pasta before, this may seem weird to you, but trust us—it’s for a reason. Browning the pasta prevents it from getting mushy in the soup.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the pot.
After the pasta turns a golden brown color, it’s time to pour the blended mixture into the pot.
In addition to the blended mixture, add another 2-3 cups of water or broth to the pot at this time. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Stir in the chicken.
Next, stir in shredded chicken. You can use white meat, dark meat, or a combination of the two for this dish. If you’re concerned about heart health, we recommend using white meat chicken.
6. Simmer.
After you add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer the soup until the pasta is tender. This usually takes about 10–12 minutes. Be sure to stir it occasionally.
7. Garnish and enjoy!
Give the soup a taste test to make sure the pasta is tender and it has the sabor you want. Add a little more salt or cilantro to taste.
Once it’s to your liking, serve the soup and add any garnishes you want like lime, diced onion, jalapeño, and/or queso fresco. Enjoy!
Sopa de Fideo Health Benefits
Heart Health
Skinless chicken breast is a lean protein, making it a heart-healthy option for meeting your protein needs, per the USDA, so use this cut if you’re concerned about heart health.
Plus, the skinless chicken and canola oil keep the total saturated fat of this dish low for healthy cholesterol.
The National Lipid Association recommends prioritizing flavor enhancers like tomato, garlic, onion, and cilantro—all incorporated in this dish—since they can cut back on the need for sodium to promote heart health. They’re also full of plant compounds, fiber, and antioxidants.
Particularly if you have high blood pressure, consider using low-sodium broth and/or a reduced sodium bouillon to reduce blood pressure risk, per the CDC.
Diabetes
Pairing the fideo pasta with chicken and veggies helps steady blood sugars, particularly compared to eating pasta alone.
The veggies add fiber, and the chicken adds protein. These two nutrients help slow digestion to prevent blood sugar spikes, per the American Diabetes Association.
For more blood sugar benefits, you can increase the amount of chicken and veggies you add and/or use whole wheat or lentil pasta.
For more recipes and education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for only $27/month.
Sopa de Fideo
This classic Mexican soup is packed with flavor and nutrients from tomato, garlic, onion, bouillon, lime, cilantro, and, of course, cultura.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 cup (uncooked) fideos or star-shaped pasta
- 4–5 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 cube tomato bouillon
- 1 cube chicken bouillon (skip if using salted chicken broth)
- 1 can (14–15 oz) tomatoes, unsalted
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (white or dark meat)
- Salt
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Diced onion
- Diced jalapeño
- Queso fresco
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add 2 garlic cloves and diced onion. Sauté until lightly golden.
- In a blender, combine 2 cups of the water (or broth), tomato bouillon, chicken bouillon (if using), remaining garlic clove, and canned tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the pasta to the pot and stir often until it turns golden brown.
- Pour the blended mixture into the pot with the pasta. Add the remaining water or broth. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the shredded chicken.
- Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
- Add cilantro and salt to taste before serving. Garnish with limón, onion, diced jalapeño and queso fresco as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Fat
10 gSat. Fat
1 gCarbs
24 gFiber
3 gNet carbs
21 gSugar
7 gProtein
14 gSodium
1091 mgIron
2 mgVitamin D
0 µgPotassium
517 mgCalcium
65 mgThe sodium content varies depending on the bouillon, chicken broth, and canned tomatoes you use. To reduce the sodium, opt for low-sodium, reduced-sodium, or no-sodium-added versions of these ingredients.
