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 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!
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🧐 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
🔖 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.
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.
🍽 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
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
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.
Sopa de Conchas is Spanish for sea shell (conch) soup.
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!
Other Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this soup recipe, check out these other delicious soup!
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📖 Recipe
Sopita (Mexican Shell Soup)
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!
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