Ingredients
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 pound beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
8 ounces 1-inch fideo (3 cups)
2 celery stalks, whole
1 carrot, whole
1 dried bay leaf
Directions
1
Add the garlic, tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, cumin and salt to a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2
Heat a medium pot over medium, then add the oil. Add the fideo to the hot oil and cook until toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Be sure to constantly mix the fideo so it toasts evenly.
3
Reduce the heat to low, then add the blended tomato mixture.
4
Add 5 cups of water to the pot, along with the celery, carrot and bay leaf. Mix and taste for salt, adjusting if necessary.
5
Increase to medium heat until simmering, then reduce to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fideo is cooked through, the soup has melded together and the liquid has thickened.
6
Remove the celery, carrot and bay leaf, and discard. Serve soup in bowls and top with any of your favorite sopa de fideo toppings.