Chicken Fideo Soup (Sopa de Fideos con Pollo)

Bowl of chicken fideo soup garnished with cilantro and cotija cheese.

5 from 2 votes

Chicken Fideo Soup (Sopa de Fideos con Pollo)

Chicken fideo soup, also called sopa de fideo con pollo, is a brothy Mexican chicken noodle soup made with tender chicken, vegetables, and short fideo noodles. The noodles are cooked separately so they stay tender without soaking up all the broth. Finish each bowl with lime, cilantro, cotija, and tortilla strips for a simple soup that feels familiar but different from regular chicken noodle soup.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Soups & Stews

Cuisine: Latin, Mexican, Spanish

Servings: servings

Calories: 233kcal

Author: Kelly Bloom

Equipment

6 qt Enameled Dutch Oven
6 qt Stainless Steel Dutch Oven

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 medium carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 sprig thyme fresh, leaves removed
1 lb chicken boneless, skinless, cubed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
8 cup chicken broth store bought or homemade, divided in half
1 cup fideo cooked and drained
1 tablespoon lime zest fresh
1 tablespoon lime juice fresh
¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
cilantro fresh, for garnish
Cotija cheese crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven and saute the onion until it's soft and fragrant. Add the carrots, celery, and thyme and cook for 4 minutes.
3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1 sprig thyme
Add the diced or cubed chicken, salt, pepper and cook until the chicken changes color.
1 lb chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Add half the chicken broth, cover the soup pot and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and vegetables tender.
8 cup chicken broth
While the soup is simmering, boil the Fideo noodles according to the package instructions in water. Cook until al dente, still slightly firm. This will prevent them from getting too soft in the soup pot.
1 cup fideo
Drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Add the fideo and the remaining chicken broth to the pot of chicken fideo soup, stir and remove from heat. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and the nutmeg.
Serve with chopped parley or cilantro garnish.
1 tablespoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, cilantro, Cotija cheese

Notes

Here are a few tips for making the best Chicken Fideo Soup :

If you can't find fideo noodles, you can substitute another type of thin noodle, such as vermicelli or broken up angel hair pasta.
You can use leftover rotisserie chicken to save time!
To make the soup spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or some jalapeno slices.

Nutrition