Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

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This Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is made with tender chicken and veggies, a flavorful tomato-chili broth, and Mexican-style fideos (noodles).

I have a fun new soup recipe for you today!

Say hello to my new favorite Mexican chicken noodle soup! ♡

This recipe is a delicious cross between two of my childhood faves — traditional chicken noodle soup and sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup).  It’s made with a zesty Mexican tomato-chile broth, which is brightened up with a twist of lime just before serving, and can be made however mild or spicy you prefer.  Then from traditional chicken noodle soup, we add in chunks of tender chicken and a hearty helping of veggies.  And finally, for the noodles, we turn to a staple that you could find in just about any kitchen in Mexico or the States — fideos!  You can either use Mexican-style fideos (Spanish for “noodles”), which are cute little short-cut spaghetti noodles, typically found in the Mexican section of the grocery store.  Or, if you happen to have a box of spaghetti already on hand, you can just take a handful and break it up into small pieces yourself — up to you.

However you make it, the best news here is that this simple soup comes together in less than 30 minutes, and tastes so wonderfully light and cozy and delicious.  So grab those fideos, and let’s make some chicken noodle soup!  ¡Nos vamos!

Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:

To make this Mexican chicken noodle soup recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Olive oil: Or whichever type of oil you prefer to sauté the veggies.
• Veggies: I used a simple mix of onion, carrots, garlic and corn (frozen or canned) for this recipe.  But feel free to add in any other Mexican soup-friendly veggies or greens that you have on hand.
• Diced tomatoes: I love using fire-roasted diced tomatoes for that extra bit of smoky roasted flavor.  But regular diced tomatoes will work great too.
• Chiles: I added both a can of diced green chiles (which are quite mild) and a fresh diced jalapeño pepper for extra flavor and subtle heat.  But feel free to omit the jalapeño if you would like a milder soup.
• Chicken stock: Or veggie stock, whichever you have on hand or prefer.
• Cooked chicken: Either diced or shredded, up to you.  (I used two small leftover baked chicken breasts, but a rotisserie chicken would be an easy shortcut.)
• Seasonings: A simple mixture of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper, to season the broth.
• Noodles: I used Mexican-style fideos, which you can usually find in the Mexican section at the grocery store.  If not though, no worries at all, just break up some spaghetti or linguine noodles into small pieces.
• Limes: We will add the juice of one lime to the soup, but I also highly recommend serving the soup with extra lime wedges if people would like a little more citrus.
• Optional garnishes: I definitely recommend adding on some chopped fresh cilantro.  But in addition to that, some diced avocado, lime wedges, jalapeño slices, chopped red onion, and/or cotija cheese would also be delicious toppings!

How To Make This Soup:

To make this Mexican chicken noodle soup, simply…

1. Sauté the veggies: Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrots and jalapeño and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add garlic and sauté for 2 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the broth ingredients:  Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and oregano, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer.
3. Add the noodles: Reduce heat to medium-low, to maintain the simmer.  Stir in the fideos (or broken-up spaghetti).  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the noodles are al dente.
4. Season the soup: Stir in the lime juice.  Taste the soup, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve: Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.

Possible Variations:

There are all sorts of fun ways that you are welcome to customize this soup, if you’d like!  For example, feel free to…

• Toast the noodles: In traditional Mexican sopa de fideo, the noodles are briefly sautéd in oil until they are lightly golden and toasted, before the broth is added.  I skipped that step in this recipe to make things a bit simpler.  But if you would like to toast the noodles, you are totally welcome to do so in a separate skillet.  Just heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, add the noodles, sauté for 4-6 minutes until lightly golden, then add them immediately to the soup broth.
• Make it vegetarian/vegan: Feel free to sub in a can of (rinsed and drained) black beans or chickpeas in place of the chicken, and veggie stock in place of the chicken stock, if you would like to make this soup vegetarian/vegan.
• Make it gluten-free: Just use any brand of gluten-free spaghetti (broken up into small pieces) or rice noodles.
• Make it spicier: Feel free to include the seeds from the fresh jalapeño pepper to make this soup even spicier.  Or of course, you are always welcome to add in a second jalapeño pepper too.
• Make it milder: Just omit the jalapeño pepper to make this soup a bit milder.  (The diced green chiles are quite mild on their own.)
• Make it smokier: Sub a teaspoon of chipotle powder in place of one of the teaspoons of chili powder to give the broth an even more delicious smoky flavor.

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