Chicken bouillon, tomato, onion, and toasted noodles give this Mexican soup extra umami.

Ingredients

• 3 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
• 8 cups vegetable broth or water, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces uncooked fideo pasta
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 dried bay leaf
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, divided
• mexican crema, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges, and warm tortillas, for serving

Directions

1. Process tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/2 cup vegetable broth in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Set tomato mixture aside.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add pasta, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in reserved tomato mixture; simmer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Add remaining 7 1/2 cups vegetable broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir in chicken bouillon and bay leaf. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is softened but not breaking apart, 3 to 4 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt.
3. Place 4 teaspoons queso fresco in the bottom of each serving bowl; ladle soup over cheese. Serve with crema, cilantro, avocado, limes, and warm tortillas.