It’s A Cold Night Fideo Soup
By: Veggie Chica
Published: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 10:22pm

Ingredients




- 1 7oz. bag of fideo;
- 1 14-15 oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes;
-4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth;
- 2 cups of water;
-1 bunch of kale, washed, tough stems removed and chopped;
- ½ onion, chopped;
-2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed;
-2-3 tablespoons of oil;
-1/4 cup of white wine;
-2 cups of cooked pinto beans or 1 15 oz. can of pinto beans, rinsed;
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin;
- ½ teaspoon of chile powder;
-salt, to taste.

Preparation

1 In a large stockpot heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté until translucent. 2 Next add the crushed garlic and stir until a heavenly scent permeates the room. 3 Lower heat to low and add kale to the stockpot, a couple handfuls at a time.  Stir and salt to taste. 4 Once leaves are a vibrant green and slightly wilted turn off heat and transfer to a plate. 5 Wipe out pot and return to medium heat.   Add another tablespoon of oil. 6 Once oil begins to shimmer place fideo in the pot and stir frequently being careful not burn.  Cook until golden brown and opaque and it begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes. 7 Add wine to deglaze the pot, making sure to scrape any bits and pieces stuck to the pan. 8 Finally add broth, water, tomatoes, beans, cumin and chile powder and sprinkle more salt if needed. 9 Bring to a simmer and reintroduce kale mixture to the pot. 10 Continue simmering until the fideo softens and soup is heated through. 11 Ladle soup into a bowl, grab a blanket and curl up on the couch.

About

A cold night deserves a thick, robust, fill-your-belly-and-your-soul kind of soup.  As a kid, fideo was the rainy day remedy.  Slurping down a bowl of broth and noodles-so basic yet so complete.  Sopa de fideo gets revamped into a heartier soup with the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes, earthy pinto beans and rich kale.  For those of you who did not have the luxury of growing up on this stuff, fideo, or vermicelli, is first sautéed to release its nutty flavor and delicious aroma.  Once it is crispy, a simple broth and tons of veggies are added.  A few quick steps and 15-20 minutes later one incredible, steaming bowl of soup is ready to eat.   
Fideo can be found in almost any grocery store in the Mexican or international foods aisle but if for some reason it is M.I.A. vermicelli, or any short cut pasta, can be substituted.