Sopa de fideo is one hell of a Mexican crowd-pleaser and a great meal for the family. No matter how picky most people may seem about foods, they always love the taste of this versatile dish that can be attuned to their preferences.
This dish’s simplicity and incredible flavor set it apart and have captivated the hearts of my guests for a while now, but given that it is a food made with humans in mind, can dogs have sopa de fideo? Here is what you should know.
What Is Sopa De Fideo?
Sopa de fideo is a well-known Mexican comforting dish. It is made with vermicelli or angel hair-like noodles, “Fideos,” as the Spaniards will refer to it. Just like the vermicelli in Lebanese vermicelli rice, the fideos are toasted in oil and then cooked in a tomato-based, flavorful broth.
Like most other Mexican dishes or pastries, like pan duce, sopa de fideo has numerous variations as different regions of the world customize the dish according to their culinary traditions. Take, for example, the Philippines, where glass noodles are used instead of vermicelli or angel hair noodles, and they also add mung beans, creating an unforgettable masterpiece.
If you can make Spanish rice, making Sopa de Fideo will be just as easy for you. It just feels like the cooking method of Spanish rice was tweaked to accommodate pasta.
Can Dogs Have Fideo?
Fideo is a type of noodle sold in stores. In the US and Mexico, it is used to make sopa de fideo, but in Spain, it is mostly used to make fideua, a jammier, drier dish.
Fideo is a type of vermicelli-like noodle and is characterized by its golden and short strands. Dogs can have fideos, but only as an occasional treat since they have lots of carbohydrates which would lead to weight gain over time.
Can Dogs Eat Sopa De Fideo?
Dogs can safely have some soup, provided the ingredients used are safe. Homemade soups are usually the best options to offer dogs, as they can be customized to suit your dog’s system, eliminating harmful ingredients.
Sopa de Fideo is a broth- and noodles-inspired soup made with tomato paste that could contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs, and onions and garlic which could cause anemia in dogs. It also has a significant amount of salt, which could overload your dog with sodium, making it not suitable for dogs.
Further, while tomatoes can provide benefits like vitamin C, lycopene, and potassium, green tomatoes, unripe tomatoes, and tomato sauce (a processed derivative) can be harmful to dogs, your pooch should not have any kind of commercial tomato sauce, be it pasta sauce or ketchup. Tomato sauces are usually packed with additives like xylitol, which can be toxic to dogs depending on the amount consumed.
Unsalted and unseasoned chicken broth is usually a great addition to your dog’s meal. They pack a punch when it comes to minerals like gelatin, calcium, magnesium, silicon, and phosphorus. They boost your dog’s immune system and can also be a great source of hydration for your dog, just like horchata. However, Sopa de Fideos chicken broth contains numerous seasonings that may not be suitable for dogs.
These are the areas of concern, and if you could curate a dog-friendly version, eliminating these harmful ingredients, your dog could enjoy sopa de fideo occasionally like other treats like turon.
Soups Dogs Cannot Eat
While exploring soups your dogs can have or not, note that small amounts of these soups may not be toxic; rather, significant amounts usually lead to toxicity. Here are some soups you shouldn’t be letting your pooch have:
Onion and garlic soup
This is the most obvious on the list. Your dog may have to consume medium to large onions to experience toxicity, but the soup, in particular, could contain powdered onion and garlic, which is a more concentrated version, and little could cause harm to the red blood cells, making it important to skip onion soup from the list of foods you will ever offer your pooch.
Mushroom Soup
While this can be a nutrient-packed soup, dogs should not have mushroom soups, especially the canned ones; they contain a ton of sodium that could lead to possible sodium poisoning, and they also contain onions and garlic.
Spicy Soups
Most dogs are attracted to spicy foods, and some are quite tolerant of spices; they could handle takis and jerk chicken, but it is not advisable to give dogs spicy soups as it could lead to an upset stomach and flatulence.
Soups Dogs Can Have
The only advisable soup your dog should have is homemade soup, which will be low-sodium and free from harmful ingredients like onions, chives, garlic, and tomato sauce, such as unsalted and unseasoned chicken soup, bone broth, and vegetable and lentil soup.
Dog-friendly Sopa de Fideo recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup small pasta (use a dog-friendly pasta or break regular pasta into small pieces)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken (make sure it’s plain and unseasoned)
- 1/4 cup chopped carrots
- 1/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Instruction
- The olive oil should be heated in a saucepan over medium heat.
- After adding, simmer the chopped carrots for a few minutes, or until they begin to soften.
- Cook for a further two to three minutes after adding the shredded chicken.
- After adding the low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, heat the blend until it boils.
- When the liquid reaches a rolling boil, add the little pasta. Make sure the pasta is cooked through but not too soft by following the directions on the package.
- The last five minutes of cooking are when you add the peas. Peas that are frozen will boil quite rapidly.
- When ready to serve your dog, take the pot off the burner and let the soup cool.
- In your dog’s dish, serve the Sopa de Fideo.
Final Thoughts
Dogs should not be given sopa de fideo, as it contains ingredients that are harmful to dogs, from the tomato sauce to the onions and garlic to the high sodium content. The only kind of sopa de fideo dogs can have are the homemade versions, in which harmful ingredients are removed.
