Hominy Fideo Soup Recipe

Toast and hydrate chiles

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo chiles for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant, careful not to burn. Remove and place in a bowl; cover with 1 cup hot water and let sit 15 minutes to soften.

Make chile puree

Drain most of the soaking liquid, reserving about 1/4 cup. In a blender combine softened chiles, reserved soaking liquid, quartered tomato, onion, and garlic. Blend until very smooth, adding a splash of the 1 cup water if necessary to reach a sauce-like consistency (about 1/4–1/2 cup additional liquid).

Cook the broth

In a medium pot, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chile-tomato puree and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes to deepen flavors. Pour in the vegetable broth and 1 cup water, add bay leaf, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt.

Toast fideo

While the broth simmers, heat 1 tbs oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the broken fideo and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown (about 3–4 minutes). Remove from heat.

Add hominy and pasta to broth

Increase the broth to a gentle boil. Add the drained hominy and toasted fideo to the pot. Stir, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 8–10 minutes until the fideo is tender and hominy heated through. Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking. If the soup becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup additional water or broth to reach desired consistency.

Prepare fresh garnishes

While fideo cooks, thinly slice celery and radishes. Chop cilantro and cut lime into wedges. If using avocado, dice and keep ready.

Finish and serve

When fideo is tender, remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with sliced celery, radish, chopped cilantro, diced avocado (if using), and a lime wedge. Serve hot; squeeze lime over the soup just before eating.