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.
**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.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this authentic Mexican soup (amounts included in the full recipe card below):
- Types of pasta: Choose any pasta shape you like: fideo, elbow, conchitas, letritas (alphabet), etc. Buy Mexican ready packages (found in the latin section) or regular pasta.
- The Stock: Homemade stock is better! It can be made with chicken, beef or vegetable stock. If using store bought stock, use the boxed type (instead of canned) as it tastes better.
- Onion: White or yellow onion will work.
- Tomato sauce.
- The boullion: This gives a lot of flavor depth. Use chicken, beef or vegetable. Your preference.
- Fresh cilantro: It gives this soup life!
- Also olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Limes and hot sauce for serving.
Make it vegan!
The need for Plant-Based recipes is on the rise and I get many requests for Mexican recipes that do not contain any animal product. This is the perfect one!
To make it vegetarian or vegan, just use vegetable stock. Also, instead of using a chicken bullion, use better than bullion stock (no chicken base) or a cube of vegetable stock.
How to make Mexican Sopa
- Start by heating up the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute the pasta until lightly browned.
- Keep stirring constantly to brown all sides. About 5 minutes total.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Chef’s Tips and Notes
Storing
- 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 delicious…
Mexican Soup Recipes
I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
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.
Muy Delish Notes:
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
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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 :).
I can not get over how delicious this was ! So flavorful !
Te quedo perro? You stay dog?
So amazing and simple. Yum
Thank you, my mom use to make it for 8 of us.she recently passed away.my kids and grandkids love it.I just don’t know how to keep the juice in.I cook it early so when they come home it’s already done. How do I keep it juicy and sopa not Mushy
So funny….I was planning on making this today and your great recipe turned up! It is so delicious and I learned from the BEST…YOU!
Thanks again for sharing your history and memories. Homemade is fantastic!
❤️?
I’m sure it would be delicious, can’t wait to try it
I just got done making this soup and I think it is fantastic! I will put it in my regular rotation of food. I added 1/4 C dehydrated carrots to it, but the dominant flavors were the tomato and cilantro – which I loved! I didn’t really even notice the carrots.
The only downside of this recipe is if you’re on a low sodium diet; it is extremely high in sodium. But you could make a lower sodium version of it, if you needed to.☺️
I don’t have any cilantro. Will it not taste as good without it? Any spice I can add to make up for it?
Hi Lee, Cilantro has such a unique flavor and for this soup I don’t think there is another herb that could act as a substitute. You can try adding 1/2 teaspoon of dried coriander if you have it otherwise just skip it! Add a dash of lime juice to your bowl of soup if you have any 🙂
The soup will still be very good without the cilantro (but it’s better with it). But I’m sure you’ll still enjoy it! Let me know how it turned out 🙂
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!” (Bitchin?)
I will be so happy to try this soup
Thanks so much Tony! I guarantee you’ll love it!
This sopa recipe was DELECIOUS! I am Hispanic so I have tasted and made many different sopas, like you said, everyone does it their own way, with their own flair. This one sounded a little different, but was super easy, and I gotta say, it blew all the other sopas away! My sons loved it! This will be the sopa I will be making from now on! Thank you so much for sharing!
THE BEST recipe for soup oh my goodness. i just saw this earlier and bought everything to make it for dinner and everyone loved it. 10/10 recommend.
I’m making this tonight, how do I warm up the tortillas?! Super excited to try this!
Hi Kate! So sorry for the late reply! Did you make it and were you able to warm up the tortillas? You can place them on a hot skillet (no oil needed) and flip after a few seconds or a minute depending how hot the skillet is. You can also warm them up in the microwave but put them inside a kitchen towel, paper towels or a ziploc bag. warm the tortillas up for 20 seconds or so. enjoy!
I am a Michigander and love Mexican recipes handed down .I will try this as it looks so delish
In our family, this is “survival” food! The best. Both my abuelitas made this, with conchas, “macaronis,” or alphabets, mom, me and my daughters make this A LOT. Thank you for posting such a wonderful dish.
Hi Vida! Thank you so much for such a wonderful comment! It’s so great to hear about how the different generations in your family have made this dish! Thank you so much for such a wonderful comment!
Love this recipe! This was a classic growing up. I am from Chihuahua MX so sopa de fideo or conchas was a must during winter.
I was out of tomato sauce/ fresh tomatoes so I used tomato paste and some knorr de tomate. Came out delicious!
Saludos! xx
Hola Abril! I bet it tasted delicious with tomato paste too! It’s basically the same so good call! Thanks so much for making this Sopa! Te mando muchos saludos igual desde Arizona 🙂
Ana
I made this for my abuela since shes been sick and she absoulty loved it she said it makes her feel better every bite
Awe this is so kind of you to make this for your abuela! So good to hear it made her feel better and that you liked this Mexican sopa! I hope she’s all better 🙂
Stay well Johanna!
Ana
Made this tonight for dinner ~it was so good! Thank you very much for sharing! Also, the warm tortillas were a huge hit!?
I’m so happy to hear this Amy! I think this Mexican Sopa is truly a favorite amongst all age groups! Thanks so much for the review! xoxo Ana
AMAZING!!!! I’ve been eating fideo my whole life. Using fresh tomato’s and chicken stock made a huge difference! LOVED IT!!!
Awesome to hear this Lady Jorns! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
First time making it, I made a slight switch, I broiled the tomatoes and made the sauce that way with chicken bullion and onion in the blender….it came out good…next time I’m going to do everything your way lol thanks for the recipe
Awe thanks so much for the feedback AG! You version sounds so delicious! I may try roasting the tomatoes first next time and see what I get….although I’m in love with my original version as that’s how my mom made it. But loved trying to methods.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
XO,
Ana
I’ve tried several Sopa de Fideo recipes and this is the perfect one! This has become my official go to.
Hi Jia! your comments means so much to me! Thank you so much for the feedback. xoxo Ana
For our summer girl scout scavenger list one was learn a new recipe from other country. Thanks! This was good!
Yay! This is fantastic Heather! That sounds like a fun activity.
XOXO
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is a personal favorite!
You are welcome Dat! I’m so glad you like it!
This soup may seem simple but it will surprise you with its flavor and noodleliciousness!
Thank you Pablo for your review!
My mother used to make this for my sisters and I growing up. It’s the simplest of ingredients but for some reason so hard to get just right. I used your recipe and added cumin, juice of 2 lemons, 8 more oz of tomato sauce, minced garlic, ground turkey, and diced potatoes to make this into a meal that can feed anyone. I also had to add 2-3 more cups of broth for all of the additions I made as well. I thank you for sharing your recipe as it is amazing on its own as well!!! I now make this for my own kids and wife and they can’t get enough of it. Leftovers are very much welcome when I make this!
Oh my goodness! your version sounds delicious Felipe! This soup was the perfect base for all of those additions. I may have to try it. Thanks for the feedback and for making this sopa! Stay well my friend!
Deliciosa!!!!
Thanks Malena!
I brown some canned corn when I’m sauteing the onions and noodles.. I also add a can of fire roasted canned tomatoes with jalapenos. An most importantly you can’t forget to add the cheese.. I prefer a good pepper jack..
Everyone thinks their recipe is the most authentic and traditional. Recipes change and evolve in every family. Not everyone makes everything exactly the same. Your comment is ridiculous.
Thanks for defending the recipe Jami! I removed the comment from that person saying I should add cumin to it. They didn’t even make this recipe!
I appreciate you stopping by so much!
Hi Ana, first let me say that is is the very first time I have ever commented on anything. This touched my heart because of the fact this is the exact why i make sopa. Yes, I would make it for my kids when they were little. This is one of the things my Mom taught me how to make. My twin boys, who are now 49yrs. liked it the most. My two daughters. ech… My son from LA now makes it for his two daughters and they do like it. I make the shell and the fideo one quite often. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. God bless you.
You have no idea how much this comments means to me Mary! You are so sweet and it makes me so happy that you like this sopa! Still my son’s favorite! Thank you sooo much!
What brand of shells do you use to make this? I’m planning on making this tommorows and want to make sure I get the right kind of shells
You can use any brand you find at the grocery store in the latin section. They’re basically the same
Thank you! My fiancé was sick and asked me to make this. I had never had it so I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to taste like. He said it was perfect! So thank you!!
Thanks Jamey so much for the kind comment and I’m very happy you and your fiancé liked it! I hope he’s doing well!
So delicious! Just like my Grandmother makes it ❤
Can you put pieces of meat as well when you’re browning the noodles? I would like to make this but with pieces of meat.. please help me.
Yes you can! Sometimes I put shredded chicken too.
I love my mother’s fideo and am still waiting for her to write the recipe down for me.
I believe your recipe is similar to hers, but I think she adds garlic to it and uses Roma tomatoes.
I’m glad to see you use the Knorr chicken broth, instead of the canned kind which I see in a lot of recipes for this.
I’ve looked at several recipes and yours is the first that’s traditional enough for it to be pinned.
Thank you so much Turkey! I don’t like canned broth either and this is the way to go! Thanks so much for the feedback!
This is absolutely delicious. My father in law use to make it for my daughter when she was little. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for the feedback Kathy! You made my day!
I couldn’t contact my mom to ask her how she makes her soup so I started making it on my own and then I found this recipe and realized I had got it right! So simple yet so delicious. Thank you for confirming my doubts.
hi Lorens! I’m so happy to hear this! Now you get to make your own soup whenever you want. Thanks so much for stopping by ?
This is delicious! My boyfriend’s grandmother used to make it for him when he was little. I found this recipe over a year ago and make it quite often! I add shredded chicken usually. Tonight I’m throwing some meatballs in it! Can’t wait. Thank you
Wow never thought of meatballs in this soup but I’m sure it’s a great combo! I may have to try that too. Thanks so much Jessica!
Saute the raw pasta? Am I reading that right?
Hi Kevin!
You got it right! Sauté the raw pasta. That process will stop the pasta from becoming to mushy once is cooked ?
Enjoy!
What would be a good substitute for the beef bullion if we have non-beef eaters in the house (I know the idea of not eating beef is hard to fathom for me too)?
Hi Nat! you can use chicken bullion (it’s always my second option) or tomato bullion as a last resort but it won’t be the same. I hope you like it! xo
use chicken broth
Oh my goodness, a friend of mine made us this soup one day and we ate it with flour tortillas rolled up with queso fresco in them. That’s one of my very favorite things to eat now and I am known in my friends and family as a foodie. So happy I found the recipe here!
Hi Amy! This makes my heart so happy! I’m so glad you are enjoying this soup. The queso sounds delish! I may have to try it ? Thanks for stopping by!
I have a similar recipe I got from my Mom! She puts ground cumin in hers!! 🙂
Hi Cisco! I never thought of putting cumin in this soup… I bet it gives another dimension to the flavors. Thanks for the tip!
Oh, I love sopa! I grew up eating this. When I moved out I forgot how to make this. Now I’m excited I found this recipe. This will bring back childhood memories! Thanks!
Hi Tiffany! I’m soooo glad you found this recipe! I think it’s definitely a Mexican comfort food that everyone loves. I hope you get to make it! xo
This soup is delicious! Exactly how my mom used to make it. My favorite was sopa de letritas. Gracias!
Thank you so much Monica! I love letritas too! It makes me feel like a kid again!
I make this for my 5 kids at least once a week. They love it! I add a bit of fresh beans on the side. Reminds me of my Grandmas kitchen 🙂
That’s great Crystal! I’ve been making this for my kids since they were little and they still love it! It’s a great dish to grow up with. Thanks for stopping by!
We grew up on this soup brings back tons of memories. I made it for dinner tonight but added cooked ground beef to it yummy.
Thanks for sharing
Michelle
Hi Michelle! I’m so glad you got to make it! It is a wonderful dish to grow up with! Great idea on the beef! I also add shredded chicken and/or carrots sometimes. Sooo good! I hope your day is going well ?
Love this one con queso fresco sprinkled in!! Mmmm…loving your recipes!!!
Never tried it with queso fresco Rosa! I may have to do that next time. Thanks for the idea! Have a happy 4th of July!
I am so happy I found this, me and my best friend used to make this every weekend and I had forgotten how. Although her mother used to call it sopita but it is identical to what I remember. 🙂
Hi Samantha! I’m so glad you found this recipe as well! Yes sometimes I call it sopita too LOL! I hope you get to make it! xo,ana