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    You Are Here Home » Mexican Recipes

    Published: Jan 2, 2023 Updated: Jan 2, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Sopita (Mexican Shell Soup)

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    sopita mexican soup in a white bowl

    Sopita is a simple and economical Mexican shell soup similar to chicken noodle soup. It's usually made with pasta and a rich tomato-based chicken broth but you can make it heartier with just a few minor tweaks. Serve with chile sauce for a spicy kick!

    sopita in a bowl with limes and cilantro in the background

    Sopita de Conchas means sea shell soup in Spanish. The best way to describe it is as an elevated version of Campbell's SpaghettiOs. This tasty Mexican noodle soup can be enjoyed whenever you want a simple entree that's ready in under 30 minutes.

    You'll find that this dish goes by many different names based on the type of pasta that's used. As I've already mentioned, Sopita de Conchas means shell soup. However, there's also Sopita de Fideo which is made with fideo, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta. 

    But that is not all! There's also Sopita de Estrellas, which is prepared with star pasta, and Sopita de Letras, which is the Mexican version of alphabet soup.

    You can make this sopita recipe as simple or as custom as you'd like. Follow the recipe instructions for the simple version or add diced chicken, ground beef, shrimp, or your favorite veggies to kick it up a notch or two!

    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
    • 🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
    • 🍲 How to Make Sopita de Conchas
    • 🍽 What to Serve with Mexican Shell Soup
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🥘 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    • Sopita de conchas only requires a few simple ingredients. 
    • This recipe is easily adjustable. 
    • It's kid-friendly, just make sure to leave out the crushed red pepper.
    • It only takes 30 minutes to prepare, so it's perfect when you're short on time. 
    • Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it vegetarian-friendly.

    🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

    sopita (Mexican soup) ingredients

    🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Pasta: There are many types of pasta that you can use besides shells. Try substituting elbow macaroni, vermicelli noodles, or alphabet pasta. No matter what type of pasta you use, make sure you saute it first.
    • Stock: I like to use chicken stock or homemade broth in this soup especially if I'm not adding any protein. However, in a pinch, you can use chicken bouillon cubes or powder.
    • Tomato Sauce: The tomatoey flavor of the soup comes from crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato salsa. In this recipe, we'll be using one can of crushed tomatoes.
    • Spices: All you really need to flavor the soup is salt and black pepper. However, I also like to add Mexican oregano and crushed red pepper to give it some heat. 
    • Veggies: To make a heartier soup, you can add your favorite veggies. Some popular options include carrots, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, and peas. 
    • Protein: You can also add chicken, ground beef, or shrimp to make it even more filling!
    • Garnish: To garnish, serve the soup with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, scallions, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

    🍲 How to Make Sopita de Conchas

    Step 1: Heat oil in a medium pot and add pasta shells. Sauté the shells for a few minutes over medium heat then add minced onion. Cook until the shells are toasted and the onion is soft.

    sea shell pasta being fried

    Step 2: Pour chicken stock or broth, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes over the pasta. Add one can of crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.

    Step 3: Add crushed garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the shells are tender and the soup is reduced.

    sopita (shell soup)

    🍽 What to Serve with Mexican Shell Soup

    Sopita de Conchas can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. Just ladle the hot soup into bowls and add a squeeze of lime juice and crumbled queso fresco. You can also serve the soup with any of the following:

    • warm tortillas
    • chopped cilantro
    • shredded cheddar cheese
    • sour cream
    • hot sauce
    • sliced serrano peppers
    • chopped scallions
    a bowl of sopita with limes and cilantro around it

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    What is sopita made of?

    Sopita is a Mexican soup made with tomato-based broth and pasta. It also includes diced onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sometimes veggies or protein are also added.

    What does Sopa de Conchas mean?

    Sopa de Conchas is Spanish for sea shell (conch) soup.

    What do you use to season sopita?

    Sopita (Mexican soup) is seasoned with salt and black pepper. Sometimes other seasonings are added including cumin, chile powder, and garlic powder.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • If you prefer your Mexican shell soup with more liquid, I recommend reducing the amount of shells you use instead of increasing the broth. Increasing the broth can make the soup taste watered down. 
    • This soup is better enjoyed when you first make it. As it sits, the shells continue to absorb the broth so the soup gets quite condensed. 
    • Store the leftovers in an air-tight container and melt some cheese into it when you reheat it and call it Mexican Mac n Cheese! 
    sopita de conchas soup in a white bowl

    Other Soup Recipes

    If you enjoyed this soup recipe, check out these other delicious soup!

    • Lemon coriander soup with chicken
    • African chicken Stew
    • Roasted pumpkin soup
    • Spicy yogurt and herb soup

    🥘 Related Recipes

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      Poblano Soup (Crema De Poblano)
    • Rajas con Crema
      Rajas Con Crema | Creamy Roasted Poblanos
    • bean and ham soup in a white bowl
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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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    📖 Recipe

    shell soup in a white bowl garnished with cheese and peppers

    Sopita (Mexican Shell Soup)

    A delicious and simple Mexican soup made with pasta, broth, and tomato sauce.
    4.93 from 54 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, lunch
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 366kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 8 ounces sea shell pasta
    • 1 small onion (minced)
    • 1 quart chicken stock
    • 1 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

    Instructions

    • Heat oil in a medium pot and add pasta shells. Sauté the shells for a few minutes over medium heat then add minced onion. Cook until the shells are toasted and the onion is soft.
    • Pour chicken stock or broth, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes over the pasta. Add one can of crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.
    • Add crushed garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the shells are tender and the soup is reduced.

    Notes

    • If you prefer your soup with more liquid, I recommend reducing the amount of shells you use instead of increasing the broth. Increasing the broth can make the soup taste watered down.
    • This soup is better enjoyed when you first make it. As it sits, the shells continue to absorb the broth so the soup gets quite condensed.
    • Store the leftovers in an air-tight container and melt some cheese into it when you reheat it and call it Mexican Mac n Cheese!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 636mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Comments

    1. Tracy says

      September 06, 2023 at 8:43 am

      Very tasty recipe. A touch spicy, so be warned if seving little ones.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        September 06, 2023 at 8:47 am

        Hi Tracy, thanks for the comment, and yes, we like it a little spicy, but easily adjustable, especially if you know you'll be serving kids. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply

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