Sopa De Conchas (Mexican Shell Soup)

Sopa de Conchas is a cozy and nostalgic Mexican shell soup made with tender pasta simmered in a light, flavorful tomato broth. It’s incredibly simple to make and comes together in just 15 minutes—perfect for a quick, comforting meal any day of the week!

this recipe

Sopa de conchas or sopa de conchitas, is one of those simple yet deeply comforting dishes that almost every Mexican kid grew up eating.

It’s right up there with sopa de fideo, same cozy vibes, just a different pasta shape. Instead of thin noodles, we use little shell-shaped pasta (conchitas), which somehow manage to hold onto just the right amount of broth in each bite.

The result? A warm spoonful of pure comfort. Let me show you how to make a sopa de conchas just like my mom taught me! Simple, full of flavor, and made with love.

Ingredients

• Conchitas pasta: Also called shell pasta; use the tiny kind.
• Tomatoes: Fresh is best, but canned tomato sauce works too.
• Onion: White or yellow both work well.
• Vegetables: I used carrots, zucchini, and peas, but mix it up!
• Cilantro: Fresh or dried, whatever you have on hand.
• Garlic: Blend a clove into the sauce or use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock, your choice.
• Oil: Olive oil or any vegetable oil works.

How To Make Sopa de Conchas

First things first, let’s get the veggies ready. You can use whatever you have on hand, but I love adding fresh carrots and zucchini, plus a handful of frozen peas.

Chop them into bite-sized pieces, nothing too big, since we want them to cook evenly with the pasta.

The heart of sopa de conchas is the rich tomato broth, or caldillo. It’s what gives the soup that beautiful color and deep, cozy flavor.

Take a couple of ripe tomatoes, half an onion, and a clove of garlic. Toss them into a blender along with a cup of water. Blend it all up until smooth and set it aside for now.

The next step is what sets sopa de conchas apart from regular pasta soups.

Heat a generous drizzle of canola oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, toss in the dry shell pasta (conchitas).

Stir constantly and watch them like a hawk, these little guys go from golden to burnt in seconds!

After about 30 seconds to a minute, your pasta should be beautifully golden brown and smelling amazing.

Once the pasta is toasty and golden, carefully transfer it to a wire colander over a bowl to drain off any excess oil. Set it aside for now, we’ll come back to it in a sec.

In the same pot (because nobody likes extra dishes), pour in the tomato sauce you blended earlier. Let it sizzle for a minute so the flavors can wake up.

Then, toss in your chopped veggies, a few sprigs of fresh cilantro or epazote (if you have it), and your chicken stock. Bring everything to a gentle boil over medium heat.

As soon as you see bubbles, it’s time to add the star of the show—the toasty conchitas!

Stir them in, season with salt to taste, and let everything simmer together for about 8–10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the veggies are cooked through.

Give it a taste, does it need a little more salt? Once it’s perfect, ladle it into bowls and get ready to be transported straight back to childhood.

Tasty Tweaks

• Sopa de conchitas is meant to be a brothy soup, so if it looks like a lot of stock at first, trust the process, it all comes together beautifully.
• Want some heat? Grab a jalapeño or serrano, stab it with a fork to release flavor, and give it a quick sizzle in the oil before frying the pasta. Then, just pop it back in when you add the veggies for an extra kick.
• Add 1 teaspoon of chipotle or guajillo powder to the tomato sauce for a smoky flavor kick.
• Skip the pasta frying step! Just toss the dry shells straight into the simmering sauce. The texture will be a little different, but hey, you’ll save a few calories and still get all the flavor.

How To Serve Mexican Shell Pasta Soup

You can eat this shell pasta soup with a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream, a bit of queso fresco sprinkled on top, maybe a few slices of avocado, and of course, a good squeeze of lime is a must.

Many Mexicans (including myself) love to eat conchitas soup with pickled chiles jalapeños, the sour and tangy touch is something you should really try at least once!

Store And Reheat

Once your Mexican shell soup cools down, place the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Since pasta absorbs liquids after sitting for a while, it won’t have the same consistency later, but it will be delicious anyway.

Reheat the soup over medium heat on the stove or use the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated up.

More Soup Recipes

• Sopa de Estrellitas
• Sopa de Coditos
• Chicken Fideo

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