Name: Bacon Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound dry orzo; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup chopped white onion; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cup chopped carrots; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 64 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth; 0.7 ounce packet Italian Dressing Seasoning mix; 4-5 cups Rotisserie Chicken shredded; 1 cup crumbled bacon pieces; 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves or 1/4 cup dried; Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

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Sharing a homemade chicken orzo soup today! My Bacon Chicken Orzo Soup is simple to prepare, hearty and perfect for any night of the week!

Chicken Orzo Soup

Making homemade soup when the weather cools off is the best. My simple to prepare Chicken Orzo Soup is packed with flavor and the whole family enjoys this one. Hope you enjoy!

Try my Loaded Baked Potato Soup too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

What You’ll Need

dry orzo– Orzo is a small pasta that sometimes gets mistaken as rice. Find it in the pasta or rice section of your grocery store.
extra virgin olive oil– You’ll use extra virgin olive oil to saute the vegetables.
onion– I like to use white onion. Make sure you finely chop onions.
celery– Finely chop your celery as well. It’s always good to chop your vegetables the same size so they cook the same time.
carrots– Carrots should be peeled and finely chopped as well.
garlic– Use either fresh garlic that you peel and mince yourself, or you can use the minced garlic in a jar that’s found in the produce section of the grocery store.
chicken broth– I like to select the chicken broth that is low sodium when shopping for broth.
Italian Dressing Seasoning packet– Find the seasoning packets in the salad dressing section.
rotisserie chicken– For most of my recipes that use cooked chicken, I use a rotisserie chicken that I shred and save for recipes.
bacon– Use the microwave ready bacon for quick use. Cooking fresh bacon is always better tasting, but I’ve done both ways if time is short.
parsley– Fresh parsley is so great in soup. It adds the perfect touch of freshness right before serving.
Parmesan cheese– I like to get the refrigerated fresh grated Parmesan cheese for my soup recipe.

How To Make Orzo Soup

Cook orzo according to package direction, but cook it 1 less minute than stated. Drain and set aside.
Place olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and garlic, stirring and cooking until softened. I let this cook for a good 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chicken broth, Italian Dressing Seasoning mix, chicken, bacon and parsley. Stir and cook until hot, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in cooked orzo and let simmer until ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper according to your liking. Garnish each bowl with some fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.

Add cooked orzo to soup pot. Be sure to undercook your orzo 1 minute. It will simmer in hot soup.

Can I Use Other Noodles as a Substitute?

Yes, you can use any small noodle in place of the orzo. Cooked elbow noodles work great, broken up pieces of cooked spaghetti noodles work too. You can also use cooked rice instead of orzo for a chicken and rice soup variety. It’s approximately 3 cups of cooked rice as a substitute.

Cooked chicken up next! I use chopped/shredded pieces of a rotisserie chicken for most of my soup recipes. You are welcome to also cook your own chicken if you prefer.

Stir in cooked crumbled bacon pieces to the soup pot. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

I like to add fresh parsley leaves to my homemade soups, but you can also use dried parsley. Gives color and freshness.

How To Serve Orzo Soup

Serve each bowl of orzo soup with a tablespoon of fresh grated parmesan cheese. I also like to serve my homemade soup with a fresh salad and rolls. Try my Buttermilk Rolls recipe.

Can I Freeze This Soup Recipe?

Yes, once soup has cooled, transfer to an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw and heat soup accordingly.