Name: Sopa de fideo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil; 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp saffron threads; 1 kg ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (2 cups); 200 gm dried vermicelli or spaghettini, broken into rough pieces; Juice of 1 lime or to taste, plus extra wedges to serve; Coriander, sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado, to serve

Sopa de fideo

A fiery Mexican take on noodle soup that's big on tomatoes, lime and smoky spices.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

Noodles don’t always have to be Asian-flavoured – this refreshing Mexican soup is a case in point. Canned tomatoes are often used in dishes like this, but we’ve opted to use fresh ones while they’re still so great; if you want to skip the dicing, though, use a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes. Plenty of lime, extra chilli and sliced avocado can only make things better.

Ingredients

1½ tbsp olive oil

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 long red chilli, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp saffron threads

1 kg ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (2 cups)

200 gm dried vermicelli or spaghettini, broken into rough pieces

Juice of 1 lime or to taste, plus extra wedges to serve

Coriander, sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado, to serve

Method

Main

1.Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion, garlic and chilli, and sauté until translucent (2-3 minutes). Add spices and stir until fragrant (30 seconds), then transfer to a blender, add tomatoes and stock, and blend until smooth.

2.Heat remaining oil in the same saucepan over medium-high heat, add noodles and stir until golden brown (1-2 minutes). Add tomato mixture and 400ml hot water, season to taste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until soup thickens and noodles are tender (8-10 minutes). Squeeze in lime juice, season to taste, and scatter with coriander and extra chilli. Serve with sliced avocado and extra lime wedges.