Sopa de fideo
This is my all-time favorite soup: rich chicken broth infused with tomatoes and long, stringy noodles swollen with the broth, topped with banana slices, avocado and crumbled cotija cheese. The sweetness of the banana combined with the savory saltiness of the cheese and the buttery avocado dances in the mouth.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Spoon the garlic and onion into a blender and add the peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce. Puree the mixture, then set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan you used to cook the garlic and onion, and heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Carefully place the coiled fideo, a few at a time, into the pan and saute until the fideo is richly golden. Remove the fideo and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Place the puree in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot along with the broth. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. When the tomato broth is boiling, add the fideo. Cook the noodles until very tender (not simply al dente). Add additional broth to thin the consistency as desired (keep in mind that the longer the soup sits, the more liquid the noodles will soak up), and adjust the seasonings and flavorings to taste. Serve hot, with the cheese, cubed avocado and banana alongside to be added as garnish.
Fideo (a type of coiled dry pasta) is available in the Latin section of most well-stocked supermarkets.
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