Sopa de Fideo Seco

A beloved Mexican comfort classic, sopa seca — "dry soup" — is not a soup at all but a pasta dish where thin vermicelli is first toasted in oil until golden, then simmered in a spiced tomato broth until every drop is absorbed. It appears on tables across central Mexico as a weekday lunch or a filler alongside black beans.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) fideo noodles or broken vermicelli
• 3 tbsp (45ml) vegetable oil
• 4 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 tsp sauce
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp (5ml) cumin, ground
• Salt to taste
• 80g (3 oz) crumbled queso fresco, to serve
• 3 tbsp (45ml) soured cream, to serve
• Small handful fresh coriander, to serve
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced, to serve

Instructions

1. Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle and adobo sauce until completely smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Add the fideo and toast, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until deep golden and fragrant. Watch carefully — it burns quickly.
3. Pour the tomato purée into the hot pan. It will spit and splatter; stir immediately. Cook for 3 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens.
4. Add broth and cumin. Season generously with salt. Stir well, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and cook for 10–12 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed and the noodles are tender.
5. Remove from heat and rest, still covered, for 3 minutes.
6. Serve directly from the pan topped with crumbled queso fresco, soured cream, coriander leaves and avocado slices.

Cook's Notes: Use the widest pan you have so the noodles sit in a thin layer and cook evenly. Leftover sopa seca reheats well in a skillet with a splash of water.