Made by lightly frying vermicelli noodles and then cooking them in a rich broth flavored with spices, chipotles en adobo and tomatoes, sopa seca is a beloved Mexican comfort food. In our version, we used whole-wheat spaghetti and fire-roasted tomatoes for a similar effect.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti, broken into thirds
- 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 14-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped (about 1/2 loosely packed cup)
- 2 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 2 more minutes. Add the uncooked spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until some of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and increase the heat to high; bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the spaghetti is almost fully cooked, about 6 more minutes. Uncover and stir in the beans and all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro; continue simmering until the spaghetti is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 more minutes. Divide the pasta and beans among bowls and top with the remaining cilantro and the cheese. Per serving: Calories 420; Fat 10g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 28mg; Sodium 635mg; Carbohydrate 65g; Fiber 17g; Protein 22g
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 420 calorie |
| Total Fat | 10 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 28 milligrams |
| Sodium | 635 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 65 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 17 grams |
| Protein | 22 grams |
Reviews
This was wonderful with some lime juice added after serving. I even left off the monterey jack cheese and didn’t miss it at all (and I love cheese, but am trying to cut back. I added some minced garlic to the onions and poblano, just because I am apparently incapable of cooking onions without garlic, but it wasn’t necessary. I used chipotle chile powder rather then the regular kind, but either would work well. I also added about 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce to kick up the heat, but it was good even without that.
We liked this a lot. The only change I’d made is to use regular spaghetti instead of whole wheat which I know would change the nutritional/calorie information but we thought the whole wheat was a bit too gummy. Otherwise, this was very easy and very good and we’ll definitely be making this again.
This was delicious! It was so easy to make and tasted great. Will make again for sure.
This was really tasty. I added some Chipoltles in Adobo sauce as I like a little extra heat. Keeper.
Very tasty and fresh
This dish was super easy and quick! I loved that it was also light on calories, yet filling and satisfying. I enjoyed the cilantro, but others who don’t care for it could always leave it out or could substitute veggie stock to make it truly a vegitarian dish. After talking about how delicious it was at work, I had three people ask for the recipe to try it!
I just made this for dinner after seeing it in the LIGHT Jan 2012 issue. I didn’t have the poblano pepper but just added a few dried red pepper flakes instead and it was perfectly spicy. The recipe was simple and required very basic ingredients. The dish could very easily be made vegetarian by swapping out the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Delish! I will definitely make this again.