• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Cozy Fall Recipes
  • Start Here
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe

Season & Thyme logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Cozy Fall Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Social
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cozy Soups and Stews » Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)

    Published: Jun 30, 2022 · Modified: Apr 23, 2023 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Made with only 5 simple ingredients, Mexican Sopita, or Sopa de Conchas is comfort food at it's best. Easy to prepare, subtly flavored with chicken broth, tomato sauce, and onion, this mexican soup with shell pasta is a delicious noodle dish.

    sopa de conchas in a white bowl garnished with parmesan.

    If you are looking for a dish that is simple to make but full of flavor, look no further. Sopa de Conchas reminds me of an elevated version of Spaghettios, as it also features small noodles cooked in a tomato based broth. But don't be fooled, sopita is so much better. By browning the noodles first and adding in sauteed onion for flavor, this noodle soup-like meal is amazing with a capital A.

    These are honestly my favorite types of dishes to make. Ones that are classics to the culture from which they come. That are tweaked from family to family. Similar to italian wedding soup or chicken pastina is to italian culture, Mexican sopita will mean something different to each family. This recipe I am sharing is pretty much as bare bones as it comes, so feel free to adjust as you see fit.

    After this recipe, try another classic, Refried Beans in the Instant Pot.

    bowl of sopita with lime and cilantro.

    Some recipes call for fresh roma tomatoes that are blended, many use chicken bouillon cubes and water instead of chicken broth, some have meat, such as cooked ground beef, and some have veggies. There truly is a wide variety of what "sopita" means to each person.

    This version is in the middle of the spectrum as far as "soupiness" goes. You can add more broth and tomato sauce to it if you prefer it to be a more true soup like dish.

    Why brown the pasta?

    spoon lifting browned pasta up close.

    You will see here that you brown the pasta in olive oil first. If you have never browned your pasta before, you may be wondering why? Well it adds a lovely nuttiness to the flavor of the dish! It only takes a few extra minutes (You can cook it alongside your diced onions), but it adds a great layer of flavor that is totally worth the little but of effort.

    Ingredients in Sopa de Conchas

    ingredients for sopa de conchas on a white background.

    While this can vary a great deal from family to family, here what you will need for the simplest form of this dish. It is only 5 ingredients.

    • Small shell pasta
    • olive oil
    • chicken broth
    • tomato sauce
    • onion

    How to make Mexican Sopita

    Dice up yellow onion finely.

    In a medium saucepan add olive and warm over medium heat. Add in uncooked pasta shells and diced onion.

    dry pasta and diced onions added to pot.

    Cook for 5-6 minutes until the pasta has browned and the onions have softened. Make sure to keep stirring to avoid burning.

    spoon lifting browned pasta out of pot.

    Add in broth and tomato sauce and stir. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and has soaked up the majority of the broth.

    broth and tomato sauce added to shells.
    finished sopa de conchas in a white pot.

    Serve as is or garnish with desired toppings.

    How to Garnish

    hand squeezing lime into bowl of soup.

    Just like the ingredients in sopa de conchas can vary a lot, the garnishes on top can too! A classic topping is shaker parmesan cheese (the kind with the green top) and lime, but there are lots of other ways to serve as well.

    • parmesan cheese
    • cilantro
    • fresh lime juice
    • avocado
    • queso fresco
    • sour cream

    Variations of Mexican Sopita

    You can use this recipe for any of the following, simply swapping in the pasta shape of your choice. Mexican soups are also called sopa aguadas or brothy soups.

    • Sopa de Conchas (or Sopa de Conchitas) (for shell pasta)
    • Sopa de Fideo (for angel hair pasta)
    • Sopa de Estrella (for stelline or star pasta, like you would see in pastina)
    • Sopa de Codos (for elbow pasta)
    up close of soup with small shells.

    Veggies to add

    If you want to take this comfort food up a notch and add in some veggies, try one of the following. I like to cut them up finely to match the size of the shell pasta.

    • carrots
    • peas
    • spinach
    • celery

    Storage

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Note that the pasta will continue to soak up the tomato broth the longer it sits, so the sopita will become less liquidy when enjoyed as leftovers. Sometimes I add a dash of chicken broth when reheating.

    spoon lifting a bite of soup out of the bowl.
    bowl of mexican sopita with a spoon.

    Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)

    Sarah Baumeister
    Mexican Sopita or Sopa de Conchas is a mexican comfort food dish made with mini shell pasta, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Soups and stews
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 426 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups dry small shell pasta
    • 3 tbsp. olive oil
    • 3 ½ cups chicken broth
    • ½ cup tomato sauce
    • 1 small onion diced

    Instructions
     

    • Dice up yellow onion finely.
    • In a medium saucepan add olive and warm over medium heat. Add in uncooked pasta shells and diced onion.
    • Cook for 5-6 minutes until the pasta has browned and the onions have softened. Make sure to keep stirring to avoid burning.
    • Add in broth and tomato sauce and stir. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and has soaked up the majority of the broth.
    • Serve as is or garnish with desired toppings.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 426kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 11gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 1909mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More cozy soups and stews

    • angled shot of bowl of egg drop with with vegetables.
      Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables
    • up close bowl of italian wedding soup.
      Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Frozen Meatballs
    • lazy lasagna soup with garnishes.
      Lazy Lasagna Soup
    • bowl of instant pot ham and beans.
      Instant Pot Ham and Beans

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leticia says

      June 30, 2022 at 9:11 pm

      Mmmm so yummy! Love mine with LOTS of queso fresco n a little bit of lime juice <3

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        July 02, 2022 at 2:32 am

        I need to get queso fresco and try it! I loved the lime on top!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I could stand and am excited to share my love for being in the kitchen with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, we love it all!

    Learn more about me →

    Fall Favorites

    • bowl of mashed pumpkin next to pressure cooker.
      Instant Pot Pumpkin
    • overhead of pumpkin cheesecake cookies sprinkled with cinnamon.
      Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
    • Protein Pumpkin Muffins
    • one apple cider muffin on a wooden cutting board with apples in the background.
      Apple Cider Muffins
    • finished granola in a container on a wooden cutting board
      Brown Butter Cinnamon Granola
    • img 0899
      Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

    Popular Posts

    • Chicken Pastina with Egg
    • overhead of finished ranch dressing.
      Copycat Wingstop Ranch Recipe
    • thai eggplant curry featured
      Thai Eggplant Curry (and all about Thai eggplants)
    • featured image of fermented pickles without vinegar in a mason jar
      Fermented Pickles without Vinegar
    • bowl of mexican sopita with a spoon.
      Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)
    • finished burger on a plate
      Ninja Foodi Frozen Burgers (in Air Fryer)

    Season and Thyme has been featured in:

    image of brand logos of all the places Season and Thyme has been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Copyright © 2023 Season and Thyme