If you’ve ever visited Utah, chances are you’ve heard a thing or two about Cafe Rio. It’s a chain of restaurants that feature fresh, flavorful Mexican food done fast. We’re kind of obsessed with everything about it, especially their salads, tamales, quesadillas, and fideo. It wasn’t until recently that we tried their friday special: fiedo. It’s like a Mexican version of chicken noodle soup (with less broth) but topped with all the fixings… and it’s crazy good!
I’m not sure why we waited to long to take the plunge. I kind of regret it. Fideo is great because it’s not spicy or saucy, just flavorful! Did I mention it’s super filling? A little goes a long way. After eating it a few times I thought it seemed like something I could make at home. I scoured the internet for a similar recipe and came up empty handed, which was a huge bummer. So this is my make-shift version, not a 100% copycat, but darn close! My husband said it was pretty spot on, so I guess I did something right 
Anyhow, you’ll start off by getting your chicken seasoned and grilled. While that’s on the stovetop chop up the carrots, onions and garlic for the noodles. Sauté them in a large pan until they’re tender. The carrot will take the longest so be sure that it’s fork-tender before moving on (it doesn’t really soften during the rest of the cook time).
When the veggies are tender, add in noodles and toast them for a few minutes. Then add in the cilantro, tomatoes, chicken broth, lime juice and sprinkle the bullion and spices over top. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer until the noodles are soft. The noodles will soak up most of the broth, so you’ll use a bit of reserved liquid for the end. Just remember, it’s a pasta dish and not soup, so the noodles will be wet but not swimming. Let’s call it a dry soup, mmmkay?
Place the noodles and some of the broth in individual bowls and top with grated monterey jack cheese, grilled chicken, fresh pico de gallo, crumbles of cotija, a scoop of sour cream, tortilla strips and a few lime wedges. Stir it up and enjoy!!
This 30 minute meal is great for weeknight dinners or special occasions. It can be doubled to feed large crowds and the leftovers taste just as good, if not better, than the day it was made! Grab a bowl and cozy on up with this flavorful, filling Mexican pasta!
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- ½ carrot, finely diced
- 3 tbsp. yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green onion, chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ lb. angel hair or vermicelli pasta
- 1 tbsp. cilantro, minced
- ¼ c. diced fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (32-oz.) box low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Garnishes:
- Finely grated monterey jack cheese
- 2 seasoned & grilled chicken breasts, sliced
- Pico de gallo (fresh chunky salsa)
- Cotija crumbles
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Toasted corn tortilla strips
- In a large skillet with a lid, add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the carrot and cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add the onions and garlic, cook until tender and fragrant. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Pour the remaining olive oil in the skillet, when hot add the noodles and cook until they begin to brown. Pour in the vegetables along with the cilantro, tomatoes, 3 cups chicken broth, lime juice and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook until the noodles are soft and have soaked up a fair amount of the broth. Remove from the heat and add remaining 1 cup chicken broth. Let the pasta rest for 5 minutes before serving/garnishing.
-You can swap out the chicken for grilled steak :)
Recipe source: Life Made Simple
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