Mexican Star Soup (Sopa de Estrellas)

Mexican star soup, also known as sopa de estrellas, is made with toasted star-shaped pasta simmered in a simple tomato, onion, garlic, and broth mixture. It’s warm, comforting, and made with ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.

This is the Mexican version of chicken noodle soup for me. It’s the kind of thing I want when I’m sick, tired, cold, or just don’t feel like thinking too hard about dinner. The little star pasta makes it fun, but the toasted pasta and homemade tomato broth are what make it really good.

You can make this Mexican pasta soup on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Both methods are easy, and I’ve included instructions for each one below.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Mexican Star Soup
• What Is Sopa de Estrellas?
• Mexican Star Soup Ingredients
• How to Make Mexican Star Soup
• How to Make Sopa de Estrellas in the Instant Pot
• Top Tip
• Substitutions
• Mexican Star Soup Variations
• What to Serve with Mexican Star Soup
• Make Ahead
• How to Store Mexican Pasta Soup
• Frequently Asked Questions About Sopa de Estrellas
• Equipment
• Mexican Star Soup Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Star Soup

• It’s quick: The stovetop version takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. The Instant Pot version is just as simple.
• Made with pantry staples: You only need pasta, canned tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, oil, and salt.
• The pasta is toasted first: Browning the stelline in olive oil gives the soup a deeper, slightly nutty flavor. Don’t skip this part.
• It’s family-friendly: The tomato broth is flavorful but not spicy, and kids usually love the tiny star pasta.
• Easy to customize: Use chicken or vegetable broth, add vegetables, or stir in shredded chicken if you want something heartier.

What Is Sopa de Estrellas?

Sopa de estrellas translates to “star soup.” It’s a type of Mexican sopa de pasta made with small, star-shaped noodles cooked in a tomato-based broth.

You may also hear it called sopa de estrellitas, which basically means “little star soup.” The recipe is similar to Mexican fideo soup, but instead of thin fideo noodles, this version uses stelline or another star-shaped pasta.

Like many Mexican pasta soups, the noodles are toasted in oil before the liquid is added. This gives them more flavor and helps them hold their texture in the broth. It takes a few extra minutes and is absolutely worth doing.

Mexican Star Soup Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

Star pasta: Look for stelline, estrellas, or any small star-shaped pasta. You can usually find it in the pasta aisle or the Hispanic foods section. The small pasta cooks quickly and expands quite a bit, so one 7-ounce package is plenty.

Diced tomatoes: One 14-ounce can gives the broth its tomato flavor and color. Regular diced tomatoes work well, but fire-roasted tomatoes are also really good if you want a slightly smokier flavor.

Red onion: I like the flavor of red onion here, especially once it’s blended into the broth. White or yellow onion will also work.

Garlic: Two cloves are enough to flavor the broth without overpowering it. If your cloves are tiny, obviously add another one.

Broth: Chicken broth gives the soup a little more richness, but vegetable broth works just as well and keeps the recipe vegetarian.

Olive oil: The oil is used to toast the pasta until golden. Use enough to coat the bottom of the pot so the tiny noodles brown evenly.

Salt: The amount you need will depend on how salty your broth is. Start with a little, taste the finished soup, and adjust from there.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Mexican Star Soup

How to Make Sopa de Estrellas in the Instant Pot

1. Select the Sauté setting and add the olive oil.
2. Add the star pasta and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.
3. Pour in a small amount of the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly. This removes any browned bits that could trigger the burn warning.
4. Add the blended tomato mixture, remaining broth, and salt. Stir well.
5. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully perform a controlled quick release. Pasta can make the steam sputter, so release the pressure in short bursts if necessary.
7. Open the lid, stir, and let the soup rest for a few minutes before serving.

Top Tip

Keep stirring while you toast the pasta. Because stelline is so small, the noodles at the bottom can burn while the ones on top still look pale.

You want the pasta to be lightly golden, not dark brown. Once it starts to color, it moves fast.

Substitutions

Star pasta: If you can’t find stelline, use another very small pasta such as alphabet pasta, ditalini, orzo, or broken fideo. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the shape.

Red onion: White or yellow onion works just as well. White onion will give the soup a slightly sharper, more traditional savory flavor.

Canned tomatoes: You can use about 2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes when they’re in season. Blend them the same way you would the canned tomatoes.

Chicken broth: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version. If your broth is low-sodium, you’ll probably need to add more salt at the end.

Olive oil: Avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil works too.

Mexican Star Soup Variations

Add vegetables: Stir in frozen peas, corn, diced carrots, or zucchini. Add firm vegetables with the broth so they have time to soften.

Add chicken: Mix in cooked shredded chicken after the pasta is tender. Let it simmer for a few minutes, just until the chicken is hot.

Make it spicy: Blend a jalapeño, serrano pepper, or chipotle pepper with the tomato mixture. You could also serve hot sauce on the side and let everyone handle their own spice situation.

Add garnishes: Finish each bowl with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, or a squeeze of lime.

Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth and check the pasta packaging to make sure it doesn’t contain eggs.

What to Serve with Mexican Star Soup

Sopa de estrellas can be served as a light meal on its own, especially when you need something simple. You can also serve a smaller bowl as the first course of a larger Mexican dinner.

For something fresh on the side, make my traditional guacamole and serve it with tortilla chips. If you want to make the soup part of a bigger meal, follow it with beef gorditas, cauliflower tacos, or Pastel Azteca.

If you’re in full comfort-food mode, try my Mexican fideo soup next. It has the same tomato-broth idea with thin fideo noodles, corn, and a little chili powder.

This is also one of those recipes worth keeping somewhere you can find it without opening 14 tabs. You can write it down and save it in my Cilantro Parsley Recipe Card Box Set for the next time you need an easy dinner.

Make Ahead

You can blend the tomato, onion, and garlic mixture up to two days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the soup.

For the best texture, wait to cook the pasta until shortly before serving. The tiny noodles continue absorbing broth as they sit, so soup made completely in advance will become thicker.

If you do make the whole recipe ahead, keep a little extra broth available to loosen it when reheating.

How to Store Mexican Pasta Soup

Refrigerator: Let the soup cool, then store it in an airtight container for up to four days. The pasta will absorb more of the broth as it sits. This is normal.

Freezer: Pasta can become very soft after freezing and reheating, so I prefer freezing the tomato broth without the pasta. Freeze the broth for up to three months, thaw it, and add freshly toasted pasta when reheating.

Reheating: Warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water if it has become too thick. You can also microwave individual servings in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sopa de Estrellas

Is Mexican star soup spicy?

No. This recipe doesn’t contain any chile peppers, so it’s flavorful without being spicy. Add jalapeño, serrano, chipotle, or hot sauce if you want some heat.

Do I have to toast the pasta first?

Technically, no—but I really recommend it. Toasting the pasta adds flavor and is a traditional step in many Mexican pasta soups. It only takes 3–4 minutes.

Where can I find star-shaped pasta?

Look for stelline in the regular pasta aisle or pasta labeled estrellas in the Hispanic foods section. You can also find it online. If you can’t find stars, alphabet pasta or another small shape will work.

Why did my soup get so thick?

The pasta continues to absorb broth while it sits. Add more broth or water until it reaches the consistency you want. If you know you’ll have leftovers, you can also cook and store the pasta separately.

Can I use fresh tomatoes?

Yes. Replace the canned tomatoes with about 2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes. Very ripe Roma tomatoes are a good choice because they have plenty of flavor without being excessively watery.

Can I make sopa de estrellas vegetarian?

Yes. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. That’s it.

Equipment

A blender is important for making the tomato broth smooth. You’ll also need either a large pot or an Instant Pot, depending on which cooking method you choose.

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