The secret to authentic fideo is toasting the dry noodles in oil before adding the liquid. It gives them a wonderful nutty flavor and prevents them from turning to mush in the soup!

Ingredients:

For the Authentic Tomato Base:

2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, quartered

1/4 medium white or yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup water or broth (for blending)

For the Soup:

1 tbsp olive oil (like the Terra Delyssa in your background!) or vegetable oil

1 bag (7 oz) fideo pasta (if you can’t find fideo, use thin spaghetti or vermicelli broken into 1-inch pieces)

1 lb (450g) ground beef

1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into bite-sized cubes

1 cup sweet corn kernels (canned, drained or frozen)

1 whole jalapeño or serrano pepper

4 to 6 cups beef or chicken broth (depending on how soupy you like it)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions: