This Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup is made with tender chicken and vegetables in a bright tomato-chile broth, finished with Mexican-style fideos (short pasta).
I have a new favorite soup to share: Mexican chicken noodle soup.
This recipe blends two comforting classics — traditional chicken noodle soup and Mexican sopa de fideo. The base is a tangy tomato-chile broth brightened with lime, and you can control the spice level to taste. From the classic chicken noodle we add tender chicken and hearty vegetables. For noodles, use Mexican-style fideos (short broken spaghetti) or simply break up regular spaghetti you already have on hand.
Best of all, this simple soup comes together in about 30 minutes and yields a light, cozy, and flavorful bowl. Grab the fideos and let’s make it!
Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:
To make this Mexican chicken noodle soup you will need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil: or another cooking oil to sauté the vegetables.
- Vegetables: onion, carrots, garlic and corn (frozen or canned). Add other soup-friendly vegetables or greens if you like.
- Diced tomatoes: fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a pleasant smoky note, but regular diced tomatoes work well too.
- Chiles: a can of diced green chiles (mild) and an optional fresh jalapeño for additional flavor and heat. Omit jalapeño for a milder soup.
- Chicken stock: or vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Cooked chicken: diced or shredded. Leftover baked chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken both work great.
- Seasonings: chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper to season the broth.
- Noodles: Mexican-style fideos (short, broken spaghetti) or broken-up spaghetti or linguine.
- Lime: juice of one lime stirred into the soup, plus extra wedges for serving.
- Optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, extra lime wedges, jalapeño slices, chopped red onion, and cotija cheese.
How To Make This Soup:
Follow these simple steps to prepare Mexican chicken noodle soup:
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots and jalapeño and sauté for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and sauté 1–2 minutes more.
- Add the broth ingredients: Pour in the chicken stock and add the cooked chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Stir to combine and bring the broth to a gentle simmer.
- Add the noodles: Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and stir in the fideos (or broken-up spaghetti). Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente. If you prefer toasted fideos, briefly sauté them in oil until golden before adding to the broth.
- Season the soup: Stir in the lime juice and taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with your preferred garnishes.
Possible Variations:
Customize this soup to suit your preferences:
- Toast the noodles: For a more traditional sopa de fideo flavor, sauté the fideos in oil until lightly golden before adding them to the broth.
- Vegetarian or vegan: Replace the chicken with rinsed and drained black beans or chickpeas and use vegetable stock.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free spaghetti broken into small pieces or rice noodles.
- Spicier: Include the jalapeño seeds or add a second jalapeño to increase heat.
- Milder: Omit the fresh jalapeño; the canned green chiles are usually mild.
- Smoother smoky flavor: Substitute one teaspoon of chipotle powder for a teaspoon of chili powder for a smoky depth.
Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup (Recipe)
Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup
Tender chicken and vegetables in a bright tomato-chile broth with short fideo noodles.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6–8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, cored and diced (optional)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup whole-kernel corn (frozen or canned)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup (4 ounces) uncooked fideos (or broken-up spaghetti)
- Juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges for serving
- Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, diced avocado, jalapeño slices, cotija cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies: Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and jalapeño and sauté about 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté 1–2 more minutes.
- Add the broth ingredients: Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Add the noodles: Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the fideos or broken spaghetti and cook about 5 minutes until the noodles are al dente.
- Season the soup: Stir in lime juice, then taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.
Additional Info
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Did you make this?
Let me know how it turned out in the comments below.