This Mexican noodle soup (Sopa de Fideo) is one of the most popular soups all over Mexico. It is comforting and easy to prepare at home in only 30 minutes. Learn how to make this traditional golden noodle soup loved by many in your own home.

Mexican Noodle Soup | Sopa de Fideos
Sopa de Fideo is one of the most traditional soups in Mexico and is usually part of the mid-day meal in many homes and small family restaurants called “Fondas.” If you go to a Latin market, you’ll find two types of “fideo.” “Pelo de Angel” a thing spaghetti, and Cambray. Both are very similar to vermicelli pasta.
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I had already posted a more elaborated noodle soup that includes chicken and vegetables, but today’s recipe is the simplest way to prepare these noodles. This soup is traditionally made with chicken broth. However, some home cooks use granulated chicken bouillon or water and vegetable stock to make it vegan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Noodle Soup
Before I share my sopa de fideo recipe, I feel like I need to answer the questions I always get:
What is a fideo?
Mexican fideo is similar to Italian spaghetti ( fideo is also known as vermicelli) and is usually short; the makers break them into smaller pieces and sell them that way so that the noodles will fit into an average spoon. Some fideo noodles are sold in longer, twisted strands, which must be broken into pieces before cooking.
What is fideo soup or sopa de fideo?
Mexican noodle soup (Fideo soup) is a brothy noodle soup cooked with tomato sauce or chicken stock. The noodle is a thin spaghetti cut into small pieces to fit every bite. Most fideo soup recipes are cooked like the traditional red rice, frying noodles and adding liquid to make/cook the rice or soup. Variations like vegetable broth and adding vegetables like carrots are sometimes made depending on the cook and taste.
Where is Sopa de Fideo from?
Fideo soup is one of the many dishes introduced by the Spaniards to Mexico and other parts of the world. Nowadays, Mexico is the number one consumer of fideo soup, and cooked almost daily.
How to store your soup?
If you have any leftovers of Mexican noodle soup, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Then, place the soup in a sauce pot over medium heat on your stovetop for reheating. You can also store it in your freezer for up to 3 weeks and reheat it in your microwave.
How to make Mexican Sopa de Fideo
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this Mexican noodle soup.
Ingredients:
- Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Vermicelli Pasta – Fideo noodles
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Garlic cloves
- White onion
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
DIRECTIONS :
To make things easier for you, I will break down the directions for this Mexican noodle soup into sections.
Make the recaudo (sauce)
- Place roasted tomatoes, garlic, and onion into a blender. Blend until you have a smooth mixture. Strain this mixture using a colander into a bowl and set aside. (Please check the ingredients list below)
Fry the fideo
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the fideo (vermicelli noodles). Fry the noodles slightly, stirring often, until they have a light golden-brown color, 3-4 minutes.
Add the sauce
- Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the saucepan. Simmer until the sopa fideo noodles are tender, about 8 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve your sopa de fideo, divide the soup into bowls and garnish with Queso Fresco and diced avocado.
¡Provecho!
Extra Notes and Substitutions:
- If you don't find Fideo or vermicelli, you can use "Angel Hair Pasta", make sure to reduce the cooking time since it cooks faster.
- Some people like to fry the noodles until they are golden brown, this step adds more flavor to the end results.
- A spring of cilantro or parsley added to the final cooking stage also gives an extra aroma to the soup.
To serve your sopa de fideo, divide the soup into bowls and garnish with Queso Fresco and diced avocado.
¡Provecho!
Mely,
What To Serve With Mexican Noodle Soup
Whenever I make this Mexican noodle soup, I serve it out of the pot and garnish it with fresh cheese (queso fresco), a dice of avocado, and a few lime wedges. And you can't forget the warm corn tortillas!
This soup is a filling lunch or an appetizer before your dinner. If you are going to serve it as an appetizer, here are some more easy Mexican recipes that you can serve for dinner.
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican noodle soup, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
Sopa Seca de Fideo, Mexican Noodles
Authentic Mexican Recipes and Dishes
Receta en Español Sopa de Fideos Mexicana.
I hope you make this recipe for fideo soup! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Sopa de Fideo
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 ounces Vermicelli Pasta – Fideo noodles
- 10 ounces Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 large garlic clove or 2 small ones
- ½ cup white onion chopped
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
TO SERVE YOUR SOPA DE FIDEO:
- Mexican crumbled Queso Fresco and diced avocado.
Instructions
Make the recaudo (sauce)
- Place roasted tomatoes, garlic, and onion into a blender. Process until you have a smooth mixture. Strain this mixture using a colander into a bowl and set aside.
Fry the fideo
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the fideo noodles (vermicelli noodles.) Fry the noodles slightly, stirring often, until they have a light golden-brown color, 3-4 minutes.
Add the sauce
- Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth (or water mixed with the granulated bullion a). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the saucepan.
- Simmer until the fideo noodles are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ginger
My mother made this growing up, much more simple with broth.
Julie
This was a quick and easy soup to make and turned out delicious! I was in a rush and misread the directions-using an entire head of roasted garlic instead of a few cloves-but the soup was a hit and hubby loved the extra garlic flavor! I couldn’t find queso fresco and substituted farmers cheese instead-yum!
Rebecca Farnham
Hi Mely, there is a mexican restaurant near me that serves a side called Sopa, but it’s not a soup. It’s more of a noodle side and my son loves it. I’d like to attempt to make it at home for him. Do you think it’s basically, your recipe with less liquid? Have you ever heard of serving it like that?
Mely Martínez
Hello Rebecca,
WE have a dry version of this soup, it is called Fideo Seco and we also prepare spaghetti. Not sure which one of the two they are offering.
Here is the link to the Fideo Seco. CLICK HERE
Joanna Chavez
My hubby was missing her mom's cooking and I decided to make your fideo soup. He was so happy I made this fideo soup!
Nikki
Can I use a 10oz can of tomatoes as a substitute?
Mely Martínez
Hello Nikki,
If you don't have fresh tomatoes, canned is the best way to go.
Syd
Hi Mely, I love to follow your blog. I actually live near Guadalajara and once a month I feed the kids at a children's home. A lot of the gringos in our area share in the responsibility of taking food to the kids, but often they take the type of food that they fed their kids. One thing I've learned - Mexican kids love Mexican food! I would like to take the fideo soup but this lunch is their main meal so I think I need something to supplement it. Any suggestions? It takes me nearly an hour to drive to the kids home. I have a roaster I can reheat the soup in the anything else I take would need to be something that can make that trip and still be enjoyed although not piping hot.
Mely Martínez
Hello Syd,
Thank you for taking care of our children in need, with your time and talents. This soup can be made adding diced chicken or ground beef, plus vegetables making it a whole meal by itself. Check this recipe here in the blog to get an idea. https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-vermicelli-soup/
Happy cooking!
regs
delicious, gonna try your recipe.thanks for sharing!
Carol Carrillo
I haven't tried your recipe yet so I can't comment on it. I just wanted to add that my Mexican auntie used bacon fat to fry the vermicelli, onions, and garlic (instead of vegetable oil). It had a wonderful flavor.
My abuelita, Tito, always made a wonderful pot roast when we visited on Sundays. It had the best flavor and pulled apart with a fork. I've tried to duplicate it with no success. Any ideas? Tito was from Nayarit.
mmartinez
Hello Carol,
Do you remember if that pot roast was like a stew or has any sauce on it?
Cassie Vazquez
Finally, a recipe made by a Mexican. I tried versions of this soup from another websites, but it always has that texmex flavor tTEX_MEX. Thanks for all the pictures.
mmartinez
Thank you, you are very kind. Happy cooking!