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Overview

Paraguayan Chicken Noodles

Fideo con Pollo Paraguayo, Caldo de Gallina con Fideos, Paraguayan Chicken Noodle Soup

This paraguayan chicken noodles recipe simmers chicken thighs with carrot, onion, celery, red pepper and tomato into a clear golden broth, then stirs in small pasta rings until tender and finishes with grated queso Paraguay melting into the bowl. It is the soup Paraguayan families make when someone needs warming up, served steaming hot with boiled mandioca on the side. One serving is about 550 g and carries about 367 calories.

Noodle soups came to Paraguay with Spanish settlers and the Italian immigrants who followed them, bringing wheat pasta to a table built on cassava and corn — and the Paraguayan version kept its own character: a clear broth from a home hen, a sofrito of onion, tomato and red pepper, small pasta, and grated queso Paraguay melting into the bowl. Caldo de gallina, the hen soup this dish belongs to, is the comfort food Paraguayan families make when someone is tired or unwell, served steaming hot with boiled mandioca on the side.

Pairs well with: Serve steaming hot with boiled mandioca on the side, grated queso Paraguay melting into the broth, and fresh parsley on top.

Provenance

Paraguay flag Paraguay

Paraguayan Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 15m

20m prep • 55m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

367 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 550 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Pasta & Noodles Occasions: Family lunch, cold days, when someone is unwell, everyday soups Cost: Low — about $2–2.50 per serving at home
Tags: Chicken Cheese Savory Rich
A bowl of chicken noodle soup with shredded chicken, carrot and small pasta rings in golden broth

Paraguayan Heritage

Photo: Hoyabird8, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–2.50 per serving at home (USD)

A good Paraguayan chicken noodle soup has a clear golden broth, tender shredded chicken and pasta that is just cooked — never cloudy or mushy.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 15m
P

Cut the Vegetables

20 Mins

Cut the chicken thighs into large pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1 cm rounds, chop the onion, celery, red pepper and tomato, and mince the garlic. Grate the queso Paraguay and chop the parsley.

Maestro Tip: Cut the carrots a little thicker than the other vegetables — they take the longest to soften.

  1. 1

    Simmer the Chicken

    30 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Put the 600 g of chicken thighs in a large pot with the 2000 ml of water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, lower the heat so the pot barely bubbles, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked right through, reaching at least 74°C (165°F) inside.

    A gentle simmer keeps the broth clear — a hard boil turns it cloudy.

    Done when: The chicken is cooked through to at least 74°C (165°F) and the broth is clear and golden.

  2. 2

    Shred the Chicken

    10 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)

    Lift the chicken out with tongs and set it on a board to cool for a few minutes. Shred it into bite-size strips with two forks, and keep the broth in the pot.

    Shred while the chicken is still warm — it pulls apart easily and stays juicy.

    Done when: Tender strips of chicken, ready to go back into the soup.

  3. 3

    Soften the Sofrito

    10 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)

    Heat the 15 ml of sunflower oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the 150 g of onion, the 120 g of red pepper, the 100 g of celery and the 12 g of garlic and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and fragrant. Stir in the 150 g of tomato and cook for 2 more minutes.

    Let the tomato cook down a little — it sweetens and colours the broth.

    Done when: Soft, glossy vegetables that smell sweet, with the tomato softened.

  4. 4

    Build the Broth and Add the Pasta

    12 Mins Boiling, about 100°C (212°F)

    Tip the sofrito into the broth with the 200 g of carrot and the 2 g of oregano, and bring the pot back to a boil. Stir in the 250 g of pasta rings and cook for about 8 minutes, until the pasta and the carrot are both tender.

    Stir the pasta as soon as it goes in — small rings stick together if they sit still.

    Done when: Pasta just tender, carrot soft, broth golden and clear.

  5. 5

    Return the Chicken, Season and Rest

    8 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer for 3 more minutes until it is hot all the way through. Taste, then add the 5 g of salt and the 1 g of black pepper, a little at a time. Take the pot off the heat, rest for 5 minutes, then ladle into warm bowls, scatter the 10 g of parsley over the top, and grate the 60 g of queso Paraguay over each bowl so it melts into the hot broth.

    Season at the end — the broth reduces as it simmers, and salt added early concentrates.

    Done when: Hot shredded chicken and tender pasta in a seasoned golden broth, with cheese melting on top.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Ladle into warm bowls, scatter the parsley over the top, and grate the queso Paraguay over each bowl so it melts into the steaming broth.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

367

kcal / serving

Protein

29g

Complete AA

Carbs

41g

Complex

Fats

10g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 550 g)
Energy367 kcal
Protein29 g
Carbohydrates41 g
Fat10 g
Fibre3.9 g
Sugar5.5 g
Sodium510 mg
Per 100g
Energy65 kcal
Protein5.1 g
Carbohydrates7.3 g
Fat1.7 g
Fibre0.7 g
Sugar1 g
Sodium91 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A (carrot and red pepper), vitamin C (red pepper, tomato and parsley), and niacin and vitamin B6 (chicken).

High in Protein

Each 550 g serving gives about 28.7 g of protein from the chicken thighs and the queso Paraguay — a genuinely filling bowl.

Vegetables in Every Bowl

Carrot, onion, celery, red pepper and tomato all go into one pot, so every spoonful carries garden vegetables.

Gentle and Warming

A soft, steaming soup with mild oregano and fresh parsley — the kind of bowl that suits a cold day or a tired stomach.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Boiled Mandioca

Boiled mandioca is the traditional Paraguayan partner for soup — soft and starchy beside the brothy bowl, and it soaks up the golden broth.

Chipa

Paraguay's cheese bread rings are the traditional partner for soup — warm, chewy and salty against the light broth.

Vegetables

Fresh Tomato and Onion Salad

A sharp tomato and onion salad cuts through the richness of the chicken broth and keeps the lunch fresh.

Drinks

Terere

Paraguay's ice-cold yerba mate is the everyday drink with lunch — cold and herbal next to a steaming bowl of soup.

Full Menus

Paraguayan Family Lunch

Serve the soup as the main course of a Paraguayan family lunch, with boiled mandioca and chipa on the side and terere to drink.

Complete menu

Serve the soup as the main course of a Paraguayan family lunch, with boiled mandioca and chipa on the side and terere to drink.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Boiling the Chicken Hard the Whole Time

A hard boil makes the chicken tough and the broth cloudy and greasy. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer so the chicken stays tender and the broth stays clear and golden. This is general information, not medical advice.

Adding the Pasta Too Early

Pasta left simmering for the whole cooking time turns to mush and drinks up the broth, leaving a thick, stodgy pot. Add it near the end so it stays just tender. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA filling soup lunch — one 550 g bowl is a full meal for most adults, with mandioca on the side.
  • ChildrenMild, soft and easy to eat, with tender chicken and small pasta — serve it warm, not hot, and shred the chicken small for young children.
  • ElderlySoft to chew and easy to eat, and gentle on the stomach — serve it warm in a full bowl; the sodium is about 510 mg a serving.
  • Pregnant womenA nourishing bowl with about 28.7 g of protein a serving; make sure the chicken is cooked right through, and ask your clinician if you are unsure about the salt.
  • Breastfeeding womenA warm, filling bowl between feeds, with about 28.7 g of protein and 40.7 g of carbohydrate a serving — one bowl is plenty.
  • AthletesA good recovery bowl after training — about 367 kcal with 28.7 g of protein and 40.7 g of carbohydrate per serving; add mandioca on the side for more energy.
  • Weight gainAt about 367 kcal a serving this is a solid bowl — add mandioca and chipa on the side to add energy to the day.
  • Weight lossA 550 g serving is filling for 367 kcal, so one bowl with a salad on the side is a genuinely light lunch.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 40.7 g of carbohydrate a serving, mostly from the pasta, so a smaller bowl with more of the lighter vegetables is the safer choice; ask your clinician about a suitable serving.
  • High blood pressureSodium is about 510 mg a serving, mostly from the added salt and the cheese — keep portions to one bowl and ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Kidney diseaseThe dish is rich in potassium from the tomato and vegetables and has about 28.7 g of protein a serving; ask your clinician whether it fits your diet.
  • GoutChicken is a moderate-purine food, so keep to one bowl and skip a second helping of meat that day; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Stomach issuesA soft, mild soup that is usually easy on the stomach — eat it warm, not hot, in a modest portion, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseAbout 9.6 g of fat a serving, mostly from the chicken thighs and the cheese — a light, balanced bowl; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Fatty liverA light soup with lean chicken and vegetables, so it is a good choice for a lighter lunch; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Food allergiesContains gluten (wheat pasta) and milk (queso Paraguay). No egg, peanut, tree nut, fish or shellfish.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis is a gentle everyday soup, not a therapeutic food; anyone on a special diet should ask their clinician before eating it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool completely, then keep in a covered pot or sealed container.
In the fridge
3 days in a sealed container; the pasta softens a little each day.
In the freezer
Up to 2 months — freeze the broth and chicken without the pasta, and cook fresh pasta when you reheat.
How to reheat
Warm gently over medium heat, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through (at least 74°C / 165°F); add a splash of water if the pasta has soaked up the broth.
Freezing recommended
Yes — freeze the broth and chicken, and cook fresh pasta on the day.
Signs it has spoiled
A sour smell, a slimy surface, or any mould.

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