Cuban Sopa de Pollo with Fideos and Lime
A traditional Cuban chicken and noodle soup with tender chicken, yuca, thin pasta fideos, and bright citrus flavor from sour orange or lime. This comforting one-pot meal comes together quickly and captures the essence of Cuban home cooking with warming cumin spice and fresh cilantro.
Steps
Before you start
- Peel and cut the yuca fresh, as cut surfaces brown quickly
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking (mise en place)
- Use warm or room-temperature broth for faster cooking
- Seek out fresh sour orange (naranja agria) in Latin markets for the most authentic flavor
Sauté aromatics
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large 6- to 8-quart pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent; garlic is fragrant and light golden
Tip: Don't let the garlic brown or it will become bitter. Lower the heat if needed.
Brown chicken pieces
- Add the 2 pounds of cut chicken pieces to the pot.
- Stir and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
- The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked through at this stage; just lightly colored.
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Ready when: Chicken pieces are light golden brown on the outside
Tip: Don't crowd the pot or move the chicken constantly; let it sit for a moment to develop color.
Add broth and seasonings
- Pour in 7 cups (1650 ml) of chicken broth.
- Add 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Stir well to combine.
- Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle simmer.
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Ready when: Chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internal temperature; meat is opaque and tender
Tip: Skim any foam or impurities that rise to the surface in the first minute if desired.
Add yuca root
- Add the peeled and cubed yuca (about 340 g / 12 ounces) to the pot.
- Stir gently to distribute it evenly.
- Continue simmering over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the yuca is fork-tender but still holds its shape.
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Ready when: Yuca cubes are soft and easily pierced with a fork, but don't fall apart
Tip: Overcooking yuca causes it to become mushy and disintegrate into the broth. Check at 10 minutes.
Add fideos noodles
- Add 3 ounces (85 g) of fideos to the pot.
- Stir gently with a spoon to separate the noodles and prevent clumping.
- Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes over medium-low heat until the fideos are al dente (tender with a slight bite) and the broth is still soupy but most of the liquid has been absorbed.
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Ready when: Fideos are tender with slight bite; soup is brothy, not dry
Tip: Fideos absorb liquid as the soup sits, so avoid overcooking. The soup will thicken slightly as it cools.
Finish with citrus juice
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in ½ cup (120 ml) fresh sour orange juice.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, or more citrus juice as desired.
- Remove the bay leaf.
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Tip: Add the citrus juice off the heat to preserve its bright, fresh flavor. Sour orange gives authentic Cuban character; if unavailable, mix equal parts fresh lime juice and orange juice.
Serve and garnish
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Top each serving with a small handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot.
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Tip: Fresh cilantro is essential for flavor—don't skip it or use dried. It brightens the entire dish.
Good to know
Tips
- Sour orange (naranja agria) is the soul of authentic Cuban cuisine. Seek it out in Latin markets; it's worth the trip and keeps well in the refrigerator for weeks.
- Don't overcook the yuca—it breaks down quickly once it becomes tender. Start checking at 10 minutes so you catch it at the sweet spot between tender and mushy.
- If you have homemade chicken broth, use it; it lifts the entire soup with deeper, more complex flavor than store-bought.
- The soup will thicken as it cools due to the starches in yuca and fideos. Add a splash of warm broth when reheating if needed.
Make ahead
The chicken broth can be made 1–2 days ahead and refrigerated. The soup is best served fresh but can be made up to 8 hours ahead and gently reheated.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3–4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months (yuca and fideos may soften slightly). To reheat: warm gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened.
Substitutions
- Sour orange juice (naranja agria), fresh-squeezed → Equal parts fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice. Sour orange (naranja agria) is available in most Latin markets and gives authentic flavor, but this citrus blend is a good substitute.
- Fideos (thin pasta noodles, like vermicelli) → Thin spaghetti broken into small pieces, or orzo pasta. Use the same weight; both cook in similar time and provide a similar texture.
- Yuca root (cassava) → Red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. Peel and cube the same size. Potatoes cook slightly faster (8–10 minutes) and won't fall apart as easily.
- Chicken breast and thigh pieces, skin-on preferred → Bone-in chicken quarters or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces. Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the broth. Increase simmering time by 5 minutes to ensure the meat is fully cooked.
