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Fideo seco
Dry chipotle vermicelli
Sopa seca de fideo: Central Mexican toasted vermicelli cooked dry in chipotle-tomato sauce
MexicanA 'dry soup' sounds like a contradiction, but in Central Mexico sopa seca is the pasta or rice course that follows the brothy soup at the comida corrida. Short vermicelli is fried until nut-brown, then simmered in a smoky chipotle and tomato purée until every drop is absorbed. It's served heaped with crema, crumbled cheese and slices of avocado. Cotija and queso fresco are normally made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian crumbly cheese. Chef's tip: fry the noodles until they're the colour of a hazelnut; pale noodles taste flat.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fideo
- 7 oz fideo or vermicelli nestsbroken up
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 14 oz ripe tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ¾ tsp salt
To serve
- 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian crumbly cheesecrumbled
- 1 ripe avocadosliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend the 14 oz ripe tomatoes, ¼ white onion, 1 clove garlic and 2 chipotle chiles in adobo with half the 1 cup vegetable stock until smooth.
3 minStep 2: Heat the 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the 7 oz fideo or vermicelli nests and stir constantly for 4–5 minutes until deep golden. Stay at the stove: the noodles go from golden to burnt in under a minute.
5 minStep 3: Pour in the tomato purée (it will spit) and fry for 3 minutes, stirring, until it darkens.
3 minStep 4: Add the rest of the 1 cup vegetable stock and the ¾ tsp salt. Cover and cook on a low heat for 10–12 minutes until the liquid has gone and the noodles are tender but still separate.
12 minStep 5: Serve topped with 4 tbsp Mexican crema or soured cream, 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian crumbly cheese and 1 ripe avocado.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fideo seco take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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