This Mexican Noodle Soup recipe is full of all the flavorful Mexican spices we love and couldn’t be any easier! Make it with chicken, or for a vegan version, use chickpeas! A quick, healthy, one-pot meal on the table in under 30 minutes.
Here’s a fast and easy broth-based soup that will warm you to your bones- Mexican Noodle Soup. It’s very adaptable, made with your choice of chicken breast or chickpeas (or both!) and noodles, infused with Mexican spices. Top it with cilantro, avocado and lime. It can easily be made vegan by substituting chickpeas for the chicken, which, seriously, is just as good, if not better.
Why You’ll Love This!
- Quick, one-pot recipe. This easy soup recipe is made in just 30 minutes! The best part is that it is prepared in one pot so cooking and clean up are a pinch. This Mexican Noodle Soup calls for simple ingredients that you probably already have!
- Vegan adaptable! You can easily substitute the chicken for chickpeas to create a flavorful vegan Mexican Noodle Soup. We LOVE to enjoy it this way.
- Family-friendly. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, this soup is one everyone will love! Set up a colorful toppings bar and invite everyone to dig in.
- Healthy, brothy soup. I don’t know about you, but I love broth-based soups! They are so nurturing, warm, hydrating and comforting. This soup is bursting with nutrients from a variety of spices, vegetables, chicken (or vegetable) stock, and fresh toppings. Enjoy a satisfying, protein-rich soup thanks to the chicken or chickpeas.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Adds richness and a subtle fruity flavor to the soup.
- Onion & garlic: Provides a savory and base for the soup, enhancing the overall flavor with its aromatic and pungent taste.
- Protein: Chicken breast or chickpeas ( or both!) add protein and a heartiness to the soup.
- Spices: Salt, cumin, chili powder, coriander, dried Mexican oregano (or bay leaves), chipotle powder (or cayenne). These spices add warm, earthy, and smoky flavor to the soup, providing mild heat with a touch of citrusy, nutty, and herbal notes. The chipotle/cayenne offers a spicy kick!
- Tomato: Adds a hint of tanginess to the soup.
- Diced green chilies (optional): Adds a mild heat and subtle smoky flavor to the soup.
- Chicken stock: Provides a rich and savory base for the soup, enhancing its depth of flavor. Use vegetable stock if making this vegan. Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or chicken bouillon work fine here too!
- Noodles: Linguini or spaghetti add texture and substance to the soup, but can be substituted with other types of pasta or gluten-free/rice noodles. Vermicelli noodles, angel hair pasta, or thin spaghetti all work great in this recipe.
- Fresh Lime juice: Brightens the flavors of the soup with a tangy and citrusy kick.
- Garnishes: Avocado slices, sour cream, fresh cilantro, scallions, hot sauce, queso fresco. Or add anything else that you enjoy!
- Chopped veggies: Try adding carrot, celery, bell pepper, or other veggies to the soup for additional flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits!
How to Make Mexican Noodle Soup
- Saute. In a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, saute onion in olive oil over med-high heat for two minutes.
- Add chicken. Add chicken and garlic. Saute 5-6 minutes until it begins to turn golden brown. Stir often. (See notes for chickpeas!)
- Add spices, tomato, chilies, and liquid. Add salt and spices, oregano and cook 1 more minute. Add tomato, chilies, stock and water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add pasta. Once boiling, add pasta, resisting the temptation to add more (it will swell). Bring to a boil once more, turn heat to medium, and simmer ten minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
- Taste and adjust for lime and salt. Squeeze the lime, taste, add more salt to taste. If soup tastes bland, it need more salt and lime. 🙂
- Serve with fresh garnishes! Place in bowls and top with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and scallions, and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.
Serving SuggestionS
Dish it up tonight and top the flavorful soup with avocado slices, jalapeño, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges. If you like richness, add a dollop of sour cream. For extra spicy, serve with hot sauce on the side.
A fiesta for the senses! So much flavor and goodness happening here friends. It’s one of those meals that the whole family can dig into, comforting, satisfying and very adaptable. I hope you enjoy this variation of Mexican sopa de fideo.
FAQs
Traditionally called sopa de fideo, Mexican Noodle Soup is a traditional Mexican soup made from toasted fideo noodles cooked in a flavorful tomato-based broth. This variation of the sopa de fideo recipe does not toast the noodles. Instead, the noodles are added after the stock and water and cooked in the soup.
Yes! Use gluten-free linguine or rice noodles. Cook the noodles separately and then add them to the soup. If they are cooked in the soup they can turn the broth milky.
Store this soup (once cooled) in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It tastes even better the next day! When reheating leftovers, heat back up in the microwave or bring to the stovetop and cook over medium heat until warm.
Yes, this is a freezer-friendly recipe. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Other soup recipes you may enjoy
Hope you enjoy this Mexican spin on Chicken Noodle Soup. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
xoxo
Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup | Video
Mexican Noodle Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup, main, dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Mexican Noodle Soup recipe is full of all the flavorful Mexican spices we love and couldn’t be any easier! Make it with chicken, or for a vegan version use chickpeas! A quick, healthy, one-pot meal, on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion- diced
- 4 garlic cloves- rough chopped
- 1 – 1 1/4 lbs. chicken breast diced into small cubes (or sub 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained)
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or a couple bay leaves)
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoons chipotle powder or cayenne, or to taste
- 1 tomato – diced
- 1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 4–6 ounces dry linguini noodles (or pasta, or gluten-free or rice noodles– see notes)
- Juice of one lime
- Garnish with avocado slices, sour cream, fresh cilantro, scallions and lime
- Optional: feel free to add chopped veggies ( carrot, celery, bell pepper, etc)
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, saute onion in 1-2 T olive oil over med-high heat for two minutes.
- Add chicken and garlic. Saute 5-6 minutes until it begins to brown, stirring often.
- Add salt and spices, oregano and cook 1 more minute. Add tomato, chilies, stock and water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, add pasta, resisting the temptation to add more (it will swell). Bring to a boil once more, turn heat to medium-low heat, and simmer ten minutes or until pasta is done cooking and chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Squeeze the lime, taste, add more salt to taste. If soup tastes bland, it need more salt and lime. 🙂
- Place in bowls and top with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro and scallions and serve with a wedge of lime.
Notes
- Note: if substituting chickpeas, saute with the garlic for just a couple minutes before continuing with the recipe. You can also use both chickpeas and chicken for a heartier version.
- If using Gluten-free noodles, cook separately before adding ( they can cause the soup to turn milky).
- Feel free to use other protein: ground beef , ground turkey, chicken thighs etc.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 508.4 mg
- Fat: 5.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.5 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 26.5 g
- Cholesterol: 55.2 mg
I’ve made this several times and really like it– I use rice instead of noodles (just cook it ahead of time and then throw it in). It feels a bit more authentically mexican to me. I also use a blend of veggie and garlic stock (better than boullian) instead of chicken stock and it’s worked great. Sometimes I add a can of jalapenos.
I made this last night. So delicious.
Would key lime work here in place of lime, and fresh jalapenos in place of canned? It’s all I have 🙂 Thank you for this recipe!
Yes, go light on the jalapenos or add at the end.
I wanted a very brothy soup so made this, without noodles. I grew some Carolina Reaper peppers this summer, cut one in half and dropped it in while it was simmering. Added amazing flavor and heat.
Made this soup this morning. Had some friends stay over after our fourth of July celebration and we were all feeling the effects of our wine and whiskey last night. I decided we needed a pick me up that wasn’t a greasy breakfast burrito, and made this soup. Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it and had seconds. Hit the spot. Used chickpeas because I don’t care for chicken and it was delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
Great to hear! Glad everyone liked it!
Substituted Chicken with Quorn.
It was a hit with everyone.
Very tasty and very filling
I’m making this with zucchini noodles tonight and I can’t wait to try it!
Oooooh cool! let us know how it works out!
Thank you for a very good recipe. Just made it this evening with leftover chicken and freshly made stock…and it was SO good. I sauteed sliced carrots, sliced celery, and a diced large jalapeno with the onion. Didn’t have tomato so i dumped in a small can of tomato sauce and some extra water. Didn’t have a lime so i used Tajin. For noodles, I used rice stick from the Asian market.
Sounds perfect Francine!
Delicious flavorful soup in 30 minutes? YES!! This was so easy. I used chickpeas only because I didn’t have chicken, and it was great! I’ve made it a second time and chose the chickpeas version. I brought leftovers to the office and everyone wanted the receipe. I’ll base making this one again soon!
Im so happy you like this!
I wanted to love this soup but in the end I only give 3 stars for the following reasons:
1) took me more like an hour from start to finish. maybe I’m a slower chopper than others but including garnishes I think 30 minutes is unrealistic time.
2) I wanted the soup to have more flavor. I did include lime in soup and diced chilis and garnished with cilantro. However I didn’t serve with lime wedges, scallion or avocado so that may have added
3) I thought there was too much pasta in the soup.
4) I wanted to love this soup but felt it was just OK and more effort than I wanted it to be. Probably wouldn’t make it again though I’m sure I will enjoy eating leftovers when I get to eat soup but not cook in the same day!
okay but if you dont wanna put effort into your food, its not going to be good. this recipe is bomb, so dont be a sourpuss
I love this recipe and make it all the time! I do change your a few things as in I always seem to make this to use up a rotisserie chicken from Costco and instead of using fresh tomato, I always use a can of diced tomatoes with the juice included! It adds a ton of extra flavor! I’m big into heavily seasoned foods so I usually always add a little extra of the cumin and chili powder, and I make my own chicken broth using bouillon so I often just use 8 cups of water all with some bouillon in it and I add a jalapeño as well. I also don’t use noodles and instead use just chicken and 2 cans of garbanzo beans. So yummy!
Thanks for sharing your adaptions Megan! Very appreciated!
HIGHLY recommend boiling the noodles separate if you are using a gluten free pasta. Boiling in the soup did make the taste rather unappealing since the gluten free pasta often leaves really “milky” looking water with a very starchy taste. Wish I would have thought to do that before but WILL be trying this again, with that adjustment!
Thanks for the tip Laura! Appreciate this, will note the recipe!
Oh. My. Word. Crazy delicious. Second time I made it is I used rotisserie chicken from Costco, added lots of cilantro and squeezed the lime juice straight in to the pot. Served with quesadillas and garlic-salted sour cream. It’s at the top of our rotation!!
Yay Kathy! Im so glad you like it!
If I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. Amazing, spicy, delicious. I made it with home roasted green chili…even better.
Any chance of converting this to instant pot? Maybe high pressure for half the time the box of linguine says with a quick release?
I think that would work! Will you let us know if you try it? Has anyone else tried this?
Very good! I would just put 5 cups of chicken stock and 3 cups of water to intensify the flavor. I also added a package of frozen sweet corn and it came out really nice 🙂
Perfect thanks for sharing!
Very yummy!
Thanks for another great recipe!!
lacked a little flavor in the broth and I am not sure how I feel about linguine in soup but really enjoyed this on a cold day
Few tips: brown (then remove) the chicken before sweating the onions down; mince the garlic vs rough chop; use 1 cup less of water; break noodles in half before adding, as well as cooking a min or two less then reco’d; diced green chilis are good, use 1/2 can though; make sure to use mexican oregano! lime juice, avocado and cilantro at the end is needed to balance it out, not just for show.
Yummy soup! Don’t skip the avocado – gives the soup an extra zip!
yay…awesome, yes i love it with the avocado too! so good!
Delicious! The best Mexican soup I have ever tasted. Added mung bean noodles instead of rice noodles and it was so refreshing for summer
It was DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!
Yay! Im so glad you liked it!
I made this soup with homemade fish broth algae, mushrooms, garlic , ginger, jalapeño, and soba noodles. Best ever to recover after the stomach/ flu virus. My Dad recipe with a twist.
Sounds amazing! I love how you adapted!!!
I am a HUGE fan of your website and have been making my way through many of these recipes, and this one was especially wonderful. My own adjustments were:
roasted a cornish hen with all the spices listed and a lime slice/garlic/onions/japaleno on the inside of the bird
used all the juice from the bird into the frying pan and sauteed the veggies, pulled the meat off the bones and put in soup.
Super filling and tastes wonderfully fresh with all the beautiful garnishes!!