Greg came home from work a couple of weeks ago when I was putting the finishing touches on this recipe and taking the last photos for this post. He walked in, said “That smells good. What are you making?” My response was “Dry Soup.” I should have offered a little more explanation, because of course my very literal husband’s next question was something about that being a direct contradiction.
Sopa Seca is made with Birds Nest Vermicelli – a thin, Angel Hair type pasta
I get it – dry and soup don’t seem to belong together in a sentence, much less a recipe. This soup is born as noodle soup (or fideo soup in Spanish) and starts out brothy, but as the noodles soak up the liquid it becomes more like the pasta version of spanish rice -with all the flavor and moisture living in the vermicelli. It is good as a soup on day one, but better ‘dry’ on day two or three.
Toasting the vermicelli brings out more depth of flavor in the pasta and makes in visually appealing
This is another one of those family recipes for soup – floating around, but not really sure from where it trundled in. I’ve altered it some from the original – like adding fire-roasted tomatoes to the mix and using more vegetables then expected.
Fire roasted tomatoes are one of my secret ingredients – they add a subtle smoky flavor
Try eating this soup topped with a fried egg and toasted breadcrumbs on day two or topped with grated pepper jack cheese and fresh cilantro. It is delicious with some black beans stirred in or even as breakfast.
Mexican Dry Soup
If you want it to be soupy, just add a little water or broth when you reheat it.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) package Bird Nest Vermicelli or Coiled Angel Hair Pasta
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 1 small Onion, minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Bell Pepper, chopped fine
- 1 Carrot, cubed
- 1 can (14 oz) Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 5 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 teaspoon Chili Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Toppings:
- Cheese, Cilantro, Sour Cream
Method
- In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, garlic, peppers and carrots in a tablespoon of oil over low heat until almost soft, but not browned.
- Remove the veggies from the pot, add the additional 2 tablespoons of oil and raise the heat to medium. Add the vermicelli to the pot and brown lightly. Be careful - the pasta will burn quickly, so keep a close eye. You don't need to brown all the noodles - shoot for 50/50.
- Once the vermicelli brown, break it up into short lengths right in the pot using a wooden spoon. You want pieces that are around an inch in length.
- Add the fire roasted tomatoes along with the juice from the can directly to the pot. Next, add the sautéed vegetables and top with the broth.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. As it cooks, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add chili oil for a little extra spice.
- Cover and cook until vermicelli is soft and the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Serve with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
- This soup is even less soupy and even more delicious the next day.
Lydia, with a new creme brûlée torch waiting for her
I am not sure about soup (dry or otherwise) but if that is its name I am okay because otherwise it still sounds amazingly delicious. Going on my menu for in the next few days.
Let me know what you think!