Mexican Sopita o Sopa de Conchas is a simple and hearty soup that can be made with only four ingredients, and the whole family loves it. If you like those delicious Mexican flavors recreated in your kitchen in no time and with minimal effort, this is definitely the way to go!
I first tried this Mexican soup in a local Mexican restaurant, as my kids wanted something that most picky eaters would eat, and the chef offered this delicious dish. My kids finishes the whole bowl, and I ordered one for myself as a starter, is that good!
Much like our popular One-Pan Mexican Quinoa, this Sopa de Conchas recipe brings Mexican flavors to your family table with minimal fuss. Imagine tender shell pasta cooked in a rich, tomato-based broth, seasoned to perfection. It’s that kind of meal that fills our stomachs and warms our souls. We love this shell pasta soup all year round. We use fresh tomatoes during spring and summer and tinned tomatoes in autumn and winter, but the soup is equally delicious. Did I mention already that you only need four ingredients?
Why I Think You'll Also Love This Recipe
- With just a handful of ingredients and a simple cooking process, you'll have this dish on the table in no time. This is the type of meal I can make while my husband is running the bath for the kids.
- Sopa de conchas is definitely kid-approved, and if you, like us, have some picky eaters around, this is a one-pot meal that your kiddos will love. What kid doesn't like pasta and tomatoes? To make it more complete, you can add some protein to the soup.
- Our easy recipe for the classic Mexican Sopita brings Mexican flavors to your kitchen in an uncomplicated way.
Ingredients
Chopped Tomatoes. Fresh or canned, it doesn't matter. We've tried this recipe with juicy fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes, and it is equally delicious. You may need to adjust the acidity with a little bit of sugar if the tomatoes you use are a bit acidic.
Shell pasta. The shell pasta gives this recipe its name. The word "Concha" means Shell in Spanish. You can find this type of pasta in most large supermarkets or Latin shops.
Onion. We like cooking with white onion, but red onion is also a great addition to this recipe.
Vegetable stock.
Salt and pepper to season.
How to make Sopa de Conchas
There are different ways to make Sopa de Conchas, but we like keeping recipes simple and saving time whenever we can, so you'll only need four simple steps to make our recipe:
Step 1: Add chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh) and onion, cut into big chunks, into a food processor. Blend until you have a sauce-like texture. It's fine if the mixture is not smooth if you enjoy a bit of texture in your soup. You can also use a hand blender or finely chop the onion and use tomato passata or shredded tomatoes.
Step 2: Add some olive oil to a large pot where you'll be cooking the soup, and add the shell pasta. Cook at medium heat until the pasta starts to turn golden. Be careful not to burn it, as it can add a burnt taste to your soup.
Step 3: When the pasta is golden brown, add the tomato and onion mixture, combine well, and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: When the tomato sauce has been gently bubbling for 5-7 minutes, add the vegetable broth. Combine well and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Avoid overcooking the pasta, as it will keep cooking after turning the heat off.
Serve straight away and garnish with some fresh coriander. If you want to serve it later, we recommend separating the liquid from the pasta to not overcook the pasta.
Mexican Sopa de Conchas
Ingredients
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 9 oz shell pasta
- ½ onion
- 4 ½ cups vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- Fresh coriander or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- If you are using fresh tomatoes, roughly chop them. Chop the onion.14 oz chopped tomatoes, ½ onion
- Add the tomatoes and onion into a food processor. Blend until you have a sauce-like texture.
- Add some olive oil to a large pot where you'll be cooking the soup, and add the shell pasta. Cook at medium heat until the pasta starts to turn golden. Be careful not to burn it, as it can add a burnt taste to your soup.9 oz shell pasta
- When the pasta is golden brown, add the tomato and onion mixture, combine well, and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
- When the tomato sauce has been gently bubbling for 5-7 minutes, add the vegetable broth. Combine well and bring the liquid to a simmer.4 ½ cups vegetable stock, salt and pepper
- Cook until the pasta is al dente. Avoid overcooking the pasta as it will keep cooking after turning the heat off.
- Serve straight away and garnish with some fresh coriander.Fresh coriander or cilantro to garnish
Notes
- You can add some nutritional yeast to add a lovely cheesy touch while keeping this recipe vegan.
- If you like some spice, add some chili oil before serving.
Newsletter
Nutrition
FAQ
Both Sopa de Conchas and Sopa de Fideos can be made vegan by using vegetable stock, as the rest of the ingredients are already vegan. Make sure you are using egg-free pasta.
Yes. Just make sure you adjust the amount of vegetable broth as larger pasta shapes will absorb more liquid while cooking.
We recommend cooking the pasta right before serving. Once cooked, the pasta keeps absorbing the liquid, and you may end up with no liquid left. You can separate the liquid from the pasta if you want to enjoy the soup later after cooking it.
Serving Suggestions
We normally enjoy this Mexican sopita as a starter or as a light lunch. We like adding some protein if we have it as lunch, such as pinto or white beans, garbanzo beans, diced tofu, or toasted cashews.
Garnish the soup with some chopped cilantro before serving, and why not a drizzle of lime or lemon?
This Sopa de Conchas can be the perfect starter for your Cinco de Mayo Menu. Get more recipe ideas for the big day here: Vegan Mexican Recipes.
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