Fideo & chicken chipotle soup
Warm and comforting with a bit of a kick! Fiedo & chicken chipotle soup with queso fresco. One of my faves - August 7 in my Soup of the Day cookbook.
Fideo is a short and thin Spanish pasta. If you can’t find it, buy vermicelli or angel hair and break it into 2-inch pieces.
THE DISH:
fideo & chicken chipotle soup with queso fresco | serves 4-6
THE STUFF:
2 small (about 3/4 lb total) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
EVOO
Kosher S+P
1 small white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 - 1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
6 cups chicken broth, more as needed
1 1/4 cup fideo noodles
Toppings: sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco & chopped cilantro
On the side: my kids love to dip tortilla chips into the broth
A note about chipotle in adobo: you can find it in a can in the International section of your market. Start with 1/2 a pepper unless you like it spicy. You can always add more of the liquid from the can, just mix it into the both. Store leftover chipotle chiles in the freezer.
A note about broth: it’s always a good idea to have extra broth when you are making a soup with noodles because as it sits, the noodles continue to absorb the broth. So, add broth as needed and adjust seasoning with extra chipotle chiles and S+P.
THE HOW-TO:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the chicken breasts with 1Tbsp EVOO and season with S+P. Bake, on a baking sheet, in the oven until opaque throughout, doubt 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat and set aside.
In a large, heavy pot, warm 2 Tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season generously with S+P. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, tomato paste, and chipotle and stir well to combine. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the fideo and cook for 8 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook for a few minutes to rewarm. Season to taste with S+P.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado, queso fresco and cilantro.