Sopa de Fideo

From here

Ingredients

• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 pound beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• ¼ cup neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
• 8 ounces 1-inch fideo (3 cups)
• 2 celery stalks, whole
• 1 carrot, whole
• 1 dried bay leaf

Instructions

1. Add the garlic, tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, cumin and salt to a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium pot over medium, then add the oil. Add the fideo to the hot oil and cook until toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Be sure to constantly mix the fideo so it toasts evenly.
3. Reduce the heat to low, then add the blended tomato mixture.
4. Add 5 cups of water to the pot, along with the celery, carrot and bay leaf. Mix and taste for salt, adjusting if necessary.
5. Increase to medium heat until simmering, then reduce to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fideo is cooked through, the soup has melded together and the liquid has thickened.
6. Remove the celery, carrot and bay leaf, and discard. Serve soup in bowls and top with any of your favorite sopa de fideo toppings.

Comments

• Simple and delicious!  Much better fresh than reheated; it tastes pretty indistinguishable from spaghetti and marinara sauce in the latter case
• Canola oil is also neutral cooking oil