This Traditional Mexican Sopa is a simple and satisfying dish that is often enjoyed as a light meal or to complete the main dish. The combination of the rich, flavorful broth and tender noodles, make this soup a comforting and satisfying dish that is enjoyed by many people that love Mexican food.
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**This post was originally published on May 2013. It has been updated to be more helpful. It’s still the same delicious recipe!
Mexican Sopita
Sometimes the best dishes you have in your life are the simple ones that you’ve eaten since you were a child. The ones you think nobody would care to learn about since they’re not complicated. This is one of those for me.
“Sopita” means little soup when translated but it’s the cute diminutive name parents call this soup for their kids to eat it.
This Mexican noodle soup is a popular recipe in Mexico but everybody makes it a little different. They add their own zest if you know what I mean. You may think I’m biased but I have not tasted another “sopa” as good as this one. Another popular version I love is Sopa De Fideo (Fideo Soup) made with a thin noodle.
This sopa is the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug—perfect when you need something cozy or aren’t feeling your best. It’s easy to throw together, works with different types of noodles, and you can toss in veggies like carrots or zucchini. Plus, it comes together quickly, making it a great go-to when you don’t have much time but still want something homemade.
🩷 xoxo, Ana
Ingredients notes:
**A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.**
How to make Mexican Sopa
- Start by heating up the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute the pasta until lightly browned.
Step 1) Start by heating up the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute the pasta until lightly browned.
Step 2) Keep stirring constantly to brown all sides. About 5 minutes total.
Step 3) Add the onions and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes until soft.
Step 4) Add the tomato sauce and stir for about a minute or so. Be careful that if the pot it’s too hot, the tomato sauce will splatter.
Step 5) Then add the chicken stock (or beef/vegetable), bullion, cilantro, pepper & salt. Note I like adding the cilantro at this point since it infuses the soup with its fresh flavor while the soup cooks.
Step 6) Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low; cover with a lid (leaving it slightly open) and simmer until the noodles are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve this Mexican sopa on individual bowls as a side dish or a light meal. Drizzle some lime juice, hot sauce and accompany with warm tortillas.
Featured comment:
I was so proud to serve this sopa to my Mexican husband and toddler yesterday because I knew it was delicious. It came out SO much easier than all the times I’ve tried to “wing it.” And I love that the recipe proportions are easy to remember so I can make this again without any effort. The reviews from my husband: “Te quedó perro!”
LIAT
Tips and Notes
- A good homemade broth makes all the difference. Use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock for depth of flavor. Simmering bones with aromatics like onion, garlic, and bay leaves gives the best results. If using store-bought broth, choose a low-sodium version and season it yourself.
- Fresh toppings make a big difference. Lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced onions, sliced radishes, avocado, or crumbled cheese add brightness and contrast.
How to Store
- Fridge: If you’re planning to eat the leftover soup within a couple of days, store in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Freezer: This soup will comfortably last up to three months in the freezer in an airtight container.
Reheating
Place the soup in a small saucepan and reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot; or reheat in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes per bowl.
More Mexican Soups
Print Recipe:
Traditional Mexican Sopa (Sopita Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1 7 ounces package of mexican pasta. Shells, alphabet, or fideo (or vermicelli noodles, broken into 2″ pieces)
- ¼ cup white or yellow onion - finely chopped
- 6 to 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth (add 7 cups for a brothier soup).
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cube chicken, beef or vegetable bullion
- ¼ cup cilantro - finely chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a 4-qt. saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the pasta until slightly browned. Keep stirring constantly to brown all sides. About 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes until soft.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir for about a minute or so. Be careful that if the pot it's too hot, the tomato sauce will splatter.
- Add the broth, the bullion, cilantro, pepper & salt.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low; cover with a lid (leaving it slightly open) and simmer until the noodles are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes
Your Private Notes
Nutrition
How I learned to cook this soup
This recipe holds a special place in my heart since I learned how to make this from my mom. My mom used to make this for us all the time and she probably had to triple this recipe to feed all 9 of her kids! Yikes!
I remember calling my mom all the time to give me her recipes and as all recipes from our mother’s go, the instructions were, a little bit of this, some of this, a pinch of this, blah, blah, blah. There were no written recipes! I was left on my own to nail the exact flavor my mom used to achieve. Luckily I inherited my mom’s good cooking skills, or so I think, and learned to cook her way pretty quickly 😀
And so I started making this soup as soon as my first born was old enough to eat it. He was about 9 months old! I used to make everything from scratch (including the chicken broth) so to me this was a totally acceptable meal to feed him. He loved it! And ever since, our tradition of eating this soup year round remains in the family.
Now that my sons are living on their own (and one likes to cook… yay!), I want to pass down this recipe to them and hopefully one day, they will teach their kids how to make it. I want to make this a family heirloom recipe in my mom’s memory :).
Fast and delicious
Thanks for the review Jackie!
Have a question about an ingredient . The elbow macaroni is it 17oz’s or 7 ones?
Thank you
Hi Linda! It’s the 7 ounces one. Enjoy!
Ana,
My daughter asked me for Sopa today, and we first had Sopa when our friend’s son learned a short version in 7th grade Home Economics, I haven’t made it in a while and couldn’t find his recipe, so that’s when I found yours!
I’m so glad I did. I used gf Italian pasta because of my sensitivities and it held up nicely!
This Mexican soap is so tasty! Such a yummy recipe
I love to find easy, global recipes for the kids to try! However, I have a question: Why do we fry the pasta at first? Is it changing the flavour or texture?
I love how simple yet flavorful this recipe is. Perfect for a rainy day!
Yummm!
Very flavorful sopa and the whole family loved! Will be making again.
This is such delicious comfort food! I made it for dinner last week and the whole family loved it. It will go on our meal rotation for sure!
I grew up on sopita & make it a lot (nostalgia!). Tried this recipe & it was so good! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Excellent simple clear extremely easy and delicious this is how simple clear and precise all recipes should be!
I am going to refer everyone who asks.
Mexican sopa, especially the kind that brings back childhood memories, is always the best comfort food! There’s something so special about simple dishes like this—just a flavorful broth and tender noodles that come together perfectly. I love how you mention that everyone adds their own twist to it, making each version unique. That’s one of the beautiful things about traditional recipes like this; they evolve based on family traditions and personal tastes.
One tip I’ve learned is to lightly toast the noodles before adding them to the broth. It adds a subtle depth to the flavor and prevents them from getting too mushy. Also, squeezing a bit of fresh lime juice on top is a must—it brightens up the whole dish! This is the kind of soup that can warm your heart on a cold day, and I’m definitely going to give your version a try.