Sopas is a classic dish in Filipino cuisine—it's a creamy chicken macaroni soup with pieces of chicken, elbow macaroni, and vegetables in a rich, flavorful broth. This hearty dish is perfect for family dinners or warming up on a rainy day. Whether you're new to Filipino food or sharing it with the rest of the world, this dish is a must-try!
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What is Sopas?
In the simplest way, sopas is chicken soup with shredded chicken, elbow macaroni, and veggies like carrots, cabbage, and celery. Some people like to add hard-boiled eggs or chicken liver to make it even more flavorful and rich.
As you let it simmer, the flavors come together beautifully, especially when finished with a touch of milk or cream. This chicken sopas recipe is Filipino comfort food at its best—satisfying and heartwarming.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Pasta: Traditional sopas uses elbow macaroni pasta, but you can also use other shapes like shells, ditalini, orzo, farfalle, or orecchiette. They all work well in soups.
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs are best for this dish. Thighs are more flavorful, but breasts are leaner. You can also use rotisserie chicken for a quick option. Just be sure to shred the chicken before adding it to the soup.
- Chicken base: This concentrated paste dissolves in water to add extra flavor to the broth. You can also use chicken broth, stock, or bouillon cubes.
- Cream: You can use light or heavy cream depending on how rich you want the soup to be. Light cream makes the soup lighter, while heavy cream makes it richer and is less likely to curdle when heated. You can also use whole or evaporated milk.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. If they're thick, slice them in half horizontally so they cook more evenly.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat some oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear it lightly—just enough so it can be easily shredded later. Once done, transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool before shredding.
Step 2: Sauté the aromatics
In the same pot, add a little more oil. Sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat until they soften.
Step 3: Sauté the vegetables
Add the carrots and celery to the pot to create a basic mirepoix. Sauté for about a minute and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add the proteins
Add the hotdogs to the pot and cook until they’re lightly browned. Then, stir in the shredded chicken and mix everything together.
Step 5: Add water and seasonings
Pour in 8 cups of water, then add the chicken base, a pinch of salt, ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (patis). Stir until the chicken base dissolves.
Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 6: Add the pasta
Add the pasta to the soup and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and fully cooked.
Step 7: Add cream and cabbage
Pour in the cream and add the shredded cabbage. Stir everything together and let the soup return to a boil. Then, turn off the heat.
Serve up your hot Filipino macaroni soup with a fresh, warm Pandesal or Chicken Empanada on the side! Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use different types of pasta for Sopas! While elbow macaroni is traditional, other short pastas like medium shells, ditalini, orzo, farfalle, and orecchiette work great too. They’re easy to eat with a spoon and absorb the flavors of the broth perfectly.
Yes, chicken thighs are a great choice! They have more flavor because of the extra fat and stay juicy. Just remember to remove the skin and bones before adding them to your Sopas for a better texture
Explore more Filipino soups
- Almondigas: Hearty meatballs and misua (wheat vermicelli noodles) in a flavorful broth with patola (sponge gourd).
- Sinigang: A savory soup with a tangy tamarind base, cooked with pork, shrimp, or fish, along with vegetables like kangkong and radish.
- Tinola: A clear chicken soup with ginger, green papaya, and chili pepper leaves.
- Bulalo: A beef soup with shank and bone marrow, plus veggies like cabbage, corn, and potatoes.
- Nilaga: A clear beef soup with tender beef, potatoes, and saba bananas.
- Batchoy: A rich noodle soup with egg noodles, pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, and sometimes a raw egg.
- Arroz Caldo: A chicken rice porridge flavored with ginger and garlic, topped with green onions, fried garlic, and a squeeze of calamansi.
Other noodle and pasta recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Sopas Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni or shells (see note)
- 8 ounces boneless chicken breast (see note)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1-2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup sliced hotdogs or Vienna sausages
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons chicken base sub: chicken bouillon cube (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce more to taste
- ½ cup cream (see note)
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Neutral oil for searing and sautéing
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. If they are too thick, slice them in half horizontally so they cook more evenly.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add oil and sear the chicken over medium-high heat. The goal is to lightly sear them and cook them to a point where it can be easily shredded later. Transfer to a plate and shred once cooled.
- In the same pot over medium heat, add some oil and sauté the garlic and onion until softened.
- Add the carrots and celery, and sauté for about a minute. Season them with salt and pepper.
- Add the hot dogs and cook until lightly seared. Then, add the shredded chicken.
- Pour in about 8 cups of water, then add the chicken base, a pinch of salt, some black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve the chicken base.
- Increase to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Add the pasta to the soup and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and fully cooked.
- Pour in the cream and add the shredded cabbage. Mix everything together and wait for the soup to come back to a boil. Then, turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta: Traditional sopas uses elbow macaroni, but short pasta varieties like shells, ditalini, orzo, farfalle, or orecchiette also work well in soups.
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs are best. Thighs are more flavorful, but breasts are leaner. You can also use rotisserie chicken for a quick option. Just be sure to shred the chicken before adding it to the soup.
- Chicken Base: This concentrated paste dissolves in water to add extra flavor to the broth. You can use chicken stock, broth, or bouillon cubes as alternatives.
- Cream: You can use light or heavy cream, depending on your preference for richness and calorie content. Light cream will make the soup less heavy. Heavy cream is richer and less prone to curdling in high heat.
Kris
Now i have to make this.. thanks for the recipe!
Nora Reyes
Hello Kris, Thank YOU and i hope you enjoy!😄