Sopas is a classic dish in Filipino cuisine—a creamy chicken macaroni soup with pieces of chicken, elbow macaroni, and vegetables simmered in a rich, flavorful broth. It's a comforting, hearty dish that's just right 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?
This Chicken Sopas recipe is Filipino comfort food at its best—satisfying and heartwarming. In the simplest way, this dish combines elbow macaroni, shredded chicken, and veggies like carrots, cabbage, and celery.
As you let it simmer, the flavors come together beautifully, especially when finished with a touch of milk or cream. Flavored with fish sauce (patis) or chicken broth, it’s a bowl of pure comfort!
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Pasta: Traditional Sopas is made with elbow macaroni pasta, but you can easily swap it out for other short pasta like shells, ditalini, orzo, farfalle, or orecchiette. They all work great in soups.
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs are my go-to choices, but chicken with bones can add extra flavor. Thighs are more flavorful because of their higher fat content, while breasts are a leaner option.
- Chicken Base: I’m using chicken base for an extra boost of flavor. It's a concentrated paste that dissolves in water to create a flavorful broth. You can use chicken stock, broth, or bouillon cubes as alternatives.
- Cream: Whether you use light or heavy cream depends on how rich you want the soup to be. Light cream makes it less heavy, while heavy cream adds richness 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 breasts with salt and pepper. If they’re on the thicker side, you can easily slice them in half horizontally to make them thinner and cook more evenly.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat some oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear it lightly, just until it’s cooked enough to shred easily 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 bit more oil and sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat until they soften.
Step 3: Sauté the vegetables
Add the carrots and celery to the pot, creating a basic mirepoix, and sauté for about a minute. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Add the proteins
Add the hotdogs to the pot and cook until they’re lightly seared. 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, some ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve the chicken base.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Step 6: Add the pasta
Stir the pasta into the soup and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
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, which should take about 2 minutes. Once it starts boiling, 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
Absolutely! While traditional Sopas is made with elbow macaroni, you can easily switch it up. I’ve used medium shells, and they work great in soups. Other short pasta varieties like ditalini, orzo, farfalle, or orecchiette are also excellent choices. They’re easy to eat with a spoon and do a great job of soaking up the flavors of the broth.
Yes, chicken thighs are a great option! They’re more flavorful because of their higher fat content and tend to stay moist. Just make sure to remove the skin and bones before adding them to your Sopas for a smoother, more enjoyable dish.
Explore more Filipino soups
- Almondigas: Hearty meatballs and misua (wheat vermicelli noodles) in a flavorful broth with patola (sponge gourd).
- Sinigang: Savory soup with a tangy tamarind base, made with pork, shrimp, or fish, along with vegetables like kangkong and radish.
- Tinola: Clear chicken soup with ginger, green papaya, and chili pepper leaves.
- Bulalo: Beef soup with shank and bone marrow, along with vegetables like cabbage, corn, and potatoes.
- Nilaga: Clear beef soup with tender beef cuts, potatoes, and saba bananas.
- Batchoy: Noodle soup with a rich broth, egg noodles, pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, and sometimes a raw egg.
- Arroz Caldo: Chicken rice porridge flavored with ginger and garlic, garnished 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 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium 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
- 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.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add oil and sear them 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 8 cups of water, then add the chicken base, a pinch of salt, some ground 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 and mix it into the soup. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Pour in the cream and add the shredded cabbage. Stir well and wait for the soup to come back to a boil, which should take about 2 minutes. Once it boils, turn off the heat.
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 commonly used. Thighs have more flavor due to their higher fat content, while breasts are leaner.
- Chicken Base: It's a concentrated paste that dissolves in water to create a flavorful 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!😄