How to Make Sopa de Estrellas (Mexican Star Soup)
This simple sopa de estrellas is a classic comfort food for Mexicanos, but is not very well known in the United States. While easy to make, there are a few tips and tricks to perfecting this Mexican star soup, which I’m happy to share.
⭐️ FUN FACT: Sopa de estrella is a classic Mexican soup made with small star shaped pasta and a flavorful tomato-infused broth.
Sopita always reminds me of my Mamá Goya, my paternal grandmother. She always had a pot simmering on her stove when we’d go visit and I always loved how she cooked it to perfection – nice and soupy, and never too thick. Now I make it for my kids all the time, and it’s taken a bit of trial and error to get the consistency just right!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
The ingredients you’ll need to make this sopa de estrellas are simple: star pasta (you can find these at Mexican grocery stores), tomatoes (any variety will work), onion, garlic, and chicken or vegetable broth.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Follow these steps (I’ve also included a few pro tips in the full recipe card below) and you’ll be well on your way to creating a delicious, authentic Mexican star soup! I use chicken broth, but you can keep it vegetarian by using a well-seasoned vegetable broth.
Prepare sauce
- Blend tomatoes, onion, and garlic on medium setting until smooth, for about 60 seconds.
💡PRO TIP: This is essentially the base for my Mexican Tomato Sauce, which I use for recipes including my Mexican Red Rice, Fideo Seco, and Sopa de Albondigas and of course, classic Sopa de Fideo.
Fry star pasta
- Prepare a heavy-bottom pot with a thin layer of oil over low to medium heat. Once hot (the oil must be hot when you add the pasta!), add the estrellas and cook for about 5 minutes. You may need to reduce heat to the lowest setting to avoid burning the pasta. Be sure to stir frequently with a spatula to prevent the pasta from toasting too quickly. They should toast evenly, turning a mix of light golden brown and deeper brown when ready.
Add sauce to pasta
- Add the tomato mixture and sauté together until the liquid absorbs completely and the mixture turns a deeper orange-red color.
- PRO TIP: This step is essential. If you add the broth to raw tomato sauce this will result in a raw tomato tasting broth. Sautéing it until it reduces completely ensures that it is cooked and adds another layer of flavor.
Add broth and simmer
- Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Next, adjust heat to lowest setting, taste and adjust for salt if necessary, and cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy
- Enjoy hot with a sprinkle of fresh lime juice and your favorite salsa or crushed red peppers.
- I like to serve this sopita de estrellas alongside warm quesadillas for an easy weeknight dinner. My father and sister love their sopita with a spoonful of mayonnaise. Don’t knock it until you try it!
💡PRO TIP: To prevent your soup from thickening, the key is to fry the noodles in hot oil over low heat until they turn from their pale maize color to light brown, for at least 5 minutes. Skip this step and you’ll find that as the soup sits, the noodles will absorb the broth, resulting in a thick, somewhat mushy sopa de fideo.
RECOMMENDED BY LOLA FOR THIS RECIPE
⭐️ My children love when I make this Mexican star soup, especially when paired with quesadillas or mixed with a fresh pot of frijoles de la olla. VIEW PRODUCT
LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?
Here are a few of my favorite Mexican soups and sides:
- Classic Sopa de Fideo
- Espagueti Rojo (Creamy Mexican Spaghetti)
- How to Make Fideo Seco
- How to Make Crema de Chayote
- Green Pozole de Pollo Recipe
- BEST Mexican Red Rice
- Arroz a la Primavera (Mexican White Rice)
- Arroz Verde con Cilantro (Mexican Green Rice)
- Arroz Blanco con Elote (Mexican White Rice with Corn)
- Arroz al Ajillo (Mexican Garlic Butter Rice)
Best Sopa de Estrellas Mexicana (Mexican Star Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ onion medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 pound tomatoes about 3-4 medium Roma tomatoes, halved
- 8 cups broth chicken or veggetable
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 7 ounces star pasta
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare sauce. Blend tomatoes, onion, and garlic on medium setting until smooth, for about 60 seconds.💡PRO TIP: This is essentially the base for my Mexican Tomato Sauce, which I use for recipes including my Mexican Red Rice, Fideo Seco, and Sopa de Albondigas and of course, classic Sopa de Fideo.
- Fry star pasta. Prepare a heavy-bottom pot with a thin layer of oil over low to medium heat. Once hot (the oil must be hot when you add the pasta!), add the estrellas and cook for about 5 minutes. You may need to reduce heat to the lowest setting to avoid burning the pasta. Be sure to stir frequently with a spatula to prevent the pasta from toasting too quickly. They should toast evenly, turning a mix of light golden brown and deeper brown when ready.
- Add sauce to pasta. Add the tomato mixture and sauté together until the liquid absorbs completely and the mixture turns a deeper orange-red color.💡PRO TIP: This step is essential. If you add the broth to raw tomato sauce this will result in a raw tomato tasting broth. Sautéing it until it reduces completely ensures that it is cooked and adds another layer of flavor.
- Add broth and simmer. Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Next, adjust heat to lowest setting, taste and adjust for salt if necessary, and cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Enjoy hot with a sprinkle of fresh lime juice and your favorite salsa or crushed red peppers.I like to serve this sopita de estrellas alongside warm quesadillas for an easy weeknight dinner. My father and sister love their sopita with a spoonful of mayonnaise. Don’t knock it until you try it!
A Note from Lola
PRO TIPS FROM LOLA
- Toasting the noodles for long enough is the key to making soupy fideo that doesn’t thicken as it sits.
- Adding celery or cilantro toward the end of the cooking process is optional, but infuses a nice layer of flavor into the soup.
- Any style of dry Mexican noodles will work in this recipe. My children are fans of the estrellitas, conchitas, and letras! Fideo is a specific style of thin pasta commonly used in Mexican and Spanish cooking, it is not the same as vermecelli.
- When I make my sopa de fideo with homemade chicken broth, it comes out the best, but store-bought chicken or vegetable broth will also work. Be sure to taste and adjust salt to your liking.
- If you’re in a pinch or don’t have time to use fresh tomatoes, feel free to use canned diced or whole tomatoes (you’ll still want to blend with onion and garlic and sauté the sauce with the noodles).
Nutrition
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Lola Wiarco Dweck
Lola is a Mexican-American recipe developer, writer, and cooking instructor who loves sharing her culture with the world. Growing up in California and spending summers in Mexico, Lola celebrates her family’s Mexican recipes and vibrant culture through Lola’s Cocina.
My kids love this recipe! And I really like how you make it with real tomatoes, and not tomato sauce.
Canned tomatoes work when you’re in a pinch, but I like using fresh ones, especially when they’re in season!