Toasted Vermicelli Soup in Tomato Broth

What you need

• 200 g (7 oz) fideo or vermicelli nests, angel hair broken into 4 cm pieces works too
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes, about 350 g (12 oz), quartered
• 1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1.2 l (5 cups) chicken stock, hot
• salt, to taste
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
• queso fresco, crumbled, for serving
• Mexican crema, or sour cream, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic with 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the stock until completely smooth. Press through a fine sieve for a thinner soup, or leave unstrained for a thicker one.

2. 2

   Set a wide, heavy pot on medium heat and warm the oil.

3. 3

   Add the fideo and stir often until it turns deep golden brown, 2-3 min. Do not walk away, it darkens fast and burnt noodles taste bitter.

4. 4

   Pour in the blended tomato mixture, standing back from the spatter. Stir and cook until it thickens and darkens to a brick red, 3-4 min.

5. 5

   Add the remaining hot stock and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer.

6. 6

   Cover, turn the heat to low and cook until the fideo is tender, 8-10 min. The noodles keep drinking liquid, so thin the soup with a splash of hot water if it gets too thick.

7. 7

   Taste and add more salt if needed.

8. 8

   Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro, queso fresco and a spoonful of crema. Serve right away, before the noodles swell.

Imported from stellanspice.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.