Cuban Chicken Soup con Barilla Fideo Cut Spaghetti

There’s nothing like Cuban Chicken Soup (or Cuban Sopa de Pollo con Fideo) to heal your insides and, when I’m not feeling great, that’s exactly what I make. The winds in Vegas have picked up and everyone in my house is suffering – from allergies to symptoms of the common cold, we’re all sick! As a Share The Table Ambassador for Barilla, I love sharing stories of the ways we create mealtime traditions around the table. From raising multiracial children to maintaining traditions when we travel, the values we set around the table are ones I hope my kids lean on as they mature. (If you haven’t seen the research on the importance of family mealtime, definitely check them out!. But, when you’re feeling under the weather, sometimes it’s the meal that sets the values.

Cuban Chicken Soup is similar to the traditional American variety, except we use a thin, short noodle called Fideo (cut spaghetti). This pasta is also used in the Mexican Sopa de Fideo and it’s a delicious addition to any soup. My mom made it for me anytime I felt ill. My abuela made it for her when she got sick, too. And now, as a Latina mom passing down her culture through meaningful meals, Cuban Sopa de Pollo warms my soul knowing that my I’m passing down a beloved food tradition.

Cuban Chicken Soap: Sopa de Pollo con Fideo

With just a few ingredients, you can have this Cuban recipe warming your little one’s bellies in less than an hour. Here’s what you’ll need.

1 cup Barilla Fideo Cut Spaghetti

6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed

6 cups water

1 onion, chopped

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup tomato sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

¼ teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon saffron, or GOYA’s Sazon con Azafran

2 red potatoes, quartered*

3 carrots, chopped

¼ cup lemon juice

Salt/pepper

*Traditional Cuban Sopa de Pollo often calls for yucca, which is a beloved root vegetable in Cuban cooking. Personally, I’m not a fan. (I know, I know). This Cuban recipe also often calls for plantains to be added at the end for sweetness (platanos maduros), but I literally cannot find ripe ones within 20 miles of my home, so…

Cuban Recipes That Feed The Soul

Here’s how to make Cuban Chicken Noodle Soup…

In a large pot, add water, chicken, tomato sauce and paste, onion garlic and seasonings. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Once chicken is cooked, remove and set aside. Add potatoes and carrots; cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, using your fingers, remove chicken meat from the bones, leaving them in large to bite sized pieces. Return the chicken back to the pot. Stir to incorporate.

Add pasta and lemon juice. Check seasonings to see if additional salt or pepper is needed. Add water to reach your desired consistency, too. Once Fideo is cooked, remove from heat and serve immediately.

The Sopa de Pollo will thicken as it sits, making it a hearty and amazing dish. The first night, the kids and I snuggled on the couch while I spoon fed them (with Daddy’s help!). It’s not the most ideal way to create a meaningful meal – we always eat dinner around our table, even if it’s take out – but knowing that my kids are fed a Cuban recipe passed down the generations makes me feel a better.

I hope my kids look to this Cuban recipe when they need extra nourishment and love. I hope they remember the love that was sprinkled throughout their sopa de pollo, and how their mom always wished the best for them.

Food culture and recipes for the soul are so much more than just a handful of ingredients – and creating meaningful meals means so much more to our kids than just putting dinner on the table.