Roasted poblano peppers puréed with cooked tomatillos, onion, and garlic create a mildly spicy broth for the amazing flavor base of this spaghetti soup. The purée is combined with vegetable broth and fideo (cut pasta) that is toasted in oil.
This super-easy soup recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Make-ahead friendly. The easy broth can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook the pasta and make the soup.
- Family friendly. Everyone loves Mexican food, especially kids. The broth has the same flavors as salsa verde.
- Weeknight dinner. Make it in around 40 minutes.
- Great lunch. Take leftovers in a jar to work for lunch the next day.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this spaghetti soup, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Poblano peppers
- Tomatillos
- White onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Safflower oil - or other neutral-tasting oil
- Fideo - or vermicelli pasta
- Vegetable broth - either homemade vegetable broth or Better Than Bouillon diluted in water
🍝 What is Fideo?
Fideo means "noodles" in Spanish and is very popular in Mexican dishes. The noodles are short and very thin and are typically made out of wheat and water. Rather than boiled, fideo is usually toasted in oil to make it very flavorful before adding a broth.
If you can't find it in your stores, purchase angel hair pasta or vermicelli and break it up in your hands into pieces that are a few inches long.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Sheet pan or baking sheet - for broiling the peppers.
- Medium Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot- for simmering the tomatillos, boiling the pasta, and making the soup.
- Chef's knife
- Blender - to puree the roasted peppers, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and white onion. I use a high-powered blender.
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Mexican Spaghetti Soup (Sopa de Fideo Verde)
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 pound tomatillos husks removed
- 2 cups water
- ½ medium white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
- 8 ounces fideo or angel hair pasta or vermicelli
- 4 cups vegetable broth or 4 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon diluted in 4 cups of water
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the poblano pepper on it. You can leave the stem on. Broil the poblano peppers, turning occasionally, until the peppers are completely charred. Remove them and place them in a plastic bag or container for 5 - 10 minutes. The steam they create will help lift the skin from the meat of the pepper.Carefully peel off the charred skin from the chiles. It probably won't all come off as the skin is very thin. Just remove what can obviously be peeled off. Slice open the peppers and remove the seeds, pith, and stems. The heat of the pepper is in the seeds and pith.
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and add the tomatillos to the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook the tomatillos until completely softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and cool slightly. Do not drain the tomatillos.
- Place the roasted chiles, the tomatillos, and the water they were cooked in, into the container of a blender or food processor. Chop the onion into chunks, smash the garlic, and coarsely chop the cilantro. Add them to the blender and purée until smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of safflower oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the fideo, stirring constantly until it turns golden. Carefully add the poblano-tomatillo puree and the vegetable broth into the pot (it may splatter a bit from the heat), stirring to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are al dente.
- Serve with a little chopped cilantro and, if you don't follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, top with some crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese.
Leslie Limon
Thank you so much for rescuing my blog this month, Susan! And I hope that the blogger who slipped on ice is feeling much better. You made this simple soup look so beautiful.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It was entirely my pleasure. I made your Masa Harina Cornbread tonight too, and loved it!! I really love your blog, but my photo wasn't nearly as beautiful as yours.
SallyBR
Oh, slipping on ice is just NOT fun at all... I hope she is ok, and so nice of you to come up to the rescue...
I agree, sopa de fideo sounds much much better, and I would love a bowl right now!\
Suzanne
Really delicious Susan. Such a nice soup for a cold day.
Anna
That soup looks amazing.
TerriSue
This sounds so good. My future daughter-in-law, Dani, loves Mexican food but can't have it out easily as she is highly allergic to jalapenos. I am going to get the ingredients for this and make it later in the week when it will be cooler. Today it is in the 70's. We live in Texas. Later this week it will be back down in the low 50's, more of a soup weather! Thank you for a heads up on Leslie's blog. I'll be going over there to look for more recipes that will be Dani friendly.
Sid
Next time I'm somewhere they sell Poblano's I'm picking up a few, just so I can make this soup. Which reminds me, I need to pick up some Tomatillo's as well.
Stephanie
This soup has such an unexpected combination but sounds so wonderful. I would never think to put all of those things together, but great job and great SRC post!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
Sopa de Fideo sounds so wonderful, a perfect meal as I sit and watch the cold rain falling in the mid-Atlantic right now. I love Leslie's blog (and yours too) - and your description of her recipe is fabulous. I have used tomatillos a few times, but could definitely use some more "practice" with them and this is a great recipe to start with.
Lori Hart
I've been making a lot of soups lately and this one just went on my short list. Looks incredible!
Sarah
So perfect for the cold weather! Pinning to try!!
Katie Zeller
I love this! I have to plant tomatillos again this year... just so I can make this soup. I wonder if it would be good cold for a summer soup.... Hmmmm....
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Oh my that looks good. It's nippy here, so I'm in a soup mood. Wonderful pick for SRC!