Description
Fideo Mexican Noodle Soup is a comforting and flavorful traditional Mexican soup featuring toasted thin noodles simmered in a fragrant broth with tomato, garlic, and cumin. This easy-to-make recipe offers a warm, satisfying meal perfect for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 7 ounces fideo pasta (or vermicelli noodles)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Optional Toppings
- Avocado slices
- Diced jalapeños
- Crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Toast the pasta: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fideo pasta and stir constantly until it turns a golden brown, ensuring you do not burn it to develop a nutty flavor.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot with the toasted pasta. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and soft.
- Cook the tomato: Stir in the chopped tomato and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing it to break down and meld with the aromatics.
- Add broth and spices: Pour in the chicken broth and add the ground cumin. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Simmer the soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over increased heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and the flavors develop.
- Season the soup: Taste and season with salt and pepper according to your preference.
- Finish with cilantro: Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro for a burst of freshness.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with lime wedges and optional toppings such as avocado slices, diced jalapeños, or crumbled queso fresco to enhance the flavor and texture.
Notes
- Be careful not to burn the fideo pasta during toasting as it impacts the flavor negatively.
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version but you would need to adjust the diet classification accordingly.
- Adjust spiciness by adding more or fewer jalapeños or by omitting them altogether.
- This soup is best served fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated on the stovetop.
- If fideo pasta is unavailable, thin vermicelli noodles can be broken into short pieces as a replacement.
