Quick Summary: Mexico’s comfort food classic: toasted noodles in a savory tomato-chipotle broth. This version adds leftover turkey for protein, making it a complete meal. The toasting step is essential, giving the noodles a nutty flavor and preventing them from becoming mushy. Kid-friendly but satisfying for adults. Ready in 30 minutes. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 6
Sopa de fideo is Mexico’s answer to mac and cheese; simple, comforting, and beloved by kids who grow up eating it for lunch. The dish features toasted noodles in a tomato-based broth, often served plain but endlessly adaptable.
This version adds leftover turkey, which solves two problems at once. The broth keeps the turkey moist (leftover turkey tends toward dryness), and the protein transforms a light lunch into a complete dinner. My husband said it reminded him of Spaghetti O’s from his childhood, which he meant as a compliment. This is far better.
The toasting step is non-negotiable. Frying the noodles until golden before adding liquid gives them a nutty depth and prevents the soggy texture that plagues lesser noodle soups.
Sopa de Fideo is a simple Mexican noodle soup featuring toasted noodles (fideo) in a savory tomato broth.
Traditionally, fresh tomatoes are charred and then puréed to create the base of this soup but many cooks will opt for the convenience of diced canned tomatoes blended with a range of spices.
Specific fideo noodles can be purchased in most Mexican grocery stores, but if you do not have one nearby, angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti noodles are easy to find. Just break them into 1-inch pieces and you have a perfect substitution for fideo noodles.
The pasta pieces are sautéed in a bit of oil until golden, followed by adding a rich tomato broth. The soup is often enjoyed on its own, but popular side garnishes like cheese, sour cream or avocado are frequently served with the soup.
Sopa de Fideo with turkey
By the way, although this dish is called a ”sopa”, some versions are thick enough to be served as a creamy, gloppy noodle casserole.
For a slow carb version: A slow carb take on fideo uses shirataki noodles which are not toasted. The slow carb fideo recipe is great if you want to substitute something low carb for the pasta. Just know it is not traditional.
The fideo noodles are an integral part of this dish. Traditionally fideo vermicelli noodles were used, which are essentially 1-inch-long thin spaghetti noodles. A good substitution for these noodles is to break angel hair pasta into 1-inch pieces. Broken up thin spaghetti noodles also work.
Ingredients for Sopa de Fideo (Mexican noodle soup): diced canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, canned chipoltle adobe, brown sugar, oil, angel hair pasta, chicken stock, chopped turkey, avocado
The noodles: Fideo vermicelli, angel hair pasta broken into 1-inch pieces, or thin spaghetti broken up. All work equally well.
The tomato base: I use fire-roasted canned tomatoes blended with onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, and chipotle. Fresh charred tomatoes are traditional but add time.
The protein: Leftover turkey works beautifully. Rotisserie chicken is another easy option. Ground beef or ground turkey can be browned and added. Meatballs turn it into something closer to albondigas.
The broth: Chicken stock is standard. Use homemade turkey stock if you have it from the holiday.
Heat level: The chipotle adds smokiness and gentle heat. Adjust quantity to your preference, or omit for a completely mild soup.
Serving and Garnishes
The soup can be served plain, especially for children. Adults often want garnishes:
Sliced avocado
Sour cream or Mexican crema
Crumbled cotija cheese
Fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
Sliced jalapeños
Toasted tortilla strips for crunch
**Flavor Tips: I like to add a smoky ancho chili blend to the soup, giving it some spice, but keeping it on the milder side of the heat index. The robust tomato flavor is supposed to shine and you don’t want a really hot chili pepper blend masking the tomato taste.
The Essential Toasting Step
You do not want to skip this step, as it is integral to the traditional Fideo de Sopa dish.
Toasting the noodles until golden brown helps prevent them from becoming mushy once the tomato base is added. It also adds more depth of flavor to the soup, giving it a nutty taste.
Simply preheat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the 1-inch noodles. Stir until the pasta is golden brown. Keep an eye on the noodles as they can quickly burn. You want golden brown, not dark brown.
Some cooks will top the soup with toasted tortilla strips for added crunch:
What to Serve with Fideo
When served as lunch to kids, the fideo is often served as is. If you are serving it for dinner or to adults that want a more complete meal, a range of healthy garnishes ups the nutrition and the satiation level.
Adding turkey to the fideo increases the protein and adding garnishes like sour cream and avocado increases the good fats. These two additions would make for a filling (and low carb) complete meal.
Still need more? Here are a few other popular serving additions:
When it comes to repurposing turkey leftovers, the possibilities are endless. Sometimes leftover turkey can be quite dry so I try to use it in a recipe that has a broth or a sauce base. Here are some of my favorites:
Yes, but then it becomes tomato-pasta soup rather than sopa de fideo. The toasted thin noodles are the defining characteristic.
Can fideo be frozen?
The soup is best fresh, and it’s quick enough that freezing isn’t necessary. If you do freeze it, expect the noodles to soften significantly upon reheating. It keeps frozen for up to 3 months.
Why is my leftover turkey always dry?
Turkey is naturally lean. The broth-based cooking here keeps it moist. For other uses, add butter or gravy when reheating.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes. Use vegetable broth and omit the turkey. Add black beans or chickpeas for protein.
What makes this different from chicken noodle soup?
The toasted noodles, the tomato-chipotle base, and the Mexican seasonings. It’s a completely different flavor profile.
Sopa de Fideo with Turkey and Avocado
This is a stellar way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey, especially if it is on the dry side. A robust tomato based soup with lightly toasted angel hair pasta broken into 1-inch pieces.
15 ouncesdiced canned tomatoesI used fire roasted but any kind is fine
1onioncoarsely chopped
2clovesgarlic
2teaspoonsMexican oregano
2chipotles from canned chipotle adobePlus 2 tablespoons of adobe sauce
1teaspoonbrown sugar
2-3tablespoonsoilI use refined olive oil
6 ouncesangel hair pastaor thin spaghetti, or Mexican fideo noodles
6cupschicken stock
3 cupschopped turkeybite sized pieces
garnishessour cream, avocados, cheese, jalapenos
Instructions
In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, chipotles and sugar. Process until smooth.Break the angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti noodles into 1-inch pieces.
In a dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the 1-inch noodles (the fideo) and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Make sure and keep an eye on the pasta so that it does not burn.
2-3 tablespoons oil, 6 ounces angel hair pasta
Add the tomato mixture and the chicken stock to the pot of toasted noodles. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes.
6 cups chicken stock
Add the turkey to the pot and cook until heated through. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.
3 cups chopped turkey
Serve in bowls with a range of garnishes on the side for people to add.
garnishes
Notes
This soup is best when enjoyed fresh, and it is so quick and easy that there isn’t really a need to freeze it for future convenience. If you don’t mind the textural changes in the fideo noodles however, it will freeze for up to 3 months.**Want more like this? Subscribe to ourSunday newsletterto get recipes, gardening guides and diet help. Let’s go from Inspiration to Done!
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About the Author: Dorothy Stainbrook is the writer behind Farm to Jar. She grows heirloom tomatoes, chile peppers, blueberries, and herbs on her 23-acre HeathGlen Organic Farm in Minnesota. A Les Dames d'Escoffier member and a Good Food Awards winner, she's the author of The Tomato Workbook and The Accidental Farmer's Blueberry Cookbook. Learn more...
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