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This quick and delicious Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon is made start to finish in one pot for a simple, hearty and delicious dinner any night of the week! With loads of juicy chicken, crisp bacon and a topping of shaved Parmesan- this soup is always a crowd pleaser!

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A quick and easy soup to warm you right up!

This super simple Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon is a perfect fall weather warmer that’s ready in under an hour! Loaded with fresh veggies, juicy chicken thighs, and plenty of bacon and shaved parmesan cheese- this soup is all you need on a chilly autumn evening.

Looking for more great soup recipes?

Why not try my Chicken Tortellini Soup with Leeks, Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Mushrooms, Ham, Bean and Bacon Soup with Dumplings, or Escarole Soup with Barley and Parmesan!

Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon

What goes into the Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken & Bacon?

To make this deliciously creamy chicken soup, you will need:

  • A few strips of bacon 
  • Some celery
  • A small shallot
  • A couple medium carrots
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • Fresh garlic cloves
  • Fresh parsley 
  • Crushed red pepper flakes 
  • Dry thyme
  • Smoked paprika 
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs 
  • Chicken stock 
  • Orzo
  • A/P flour 
  • Some butter
  • Heavy cream 
Karibe knives cutting veggies

Building flavor in the orzo soup

To make the soup, you’ll start by crisping up some bacon in a large stockpot. Once the bacon is crisp, you’ll remove it to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Next, add the chopped carrot, celery, shallot and pepper to the pot with the bacon fat, and cook until softened.

When the veggies are cooked down, you’ll add the garlic, herbs and spices. Next up, you’ll add the stock and the chicken. In order to build the flavor, the order in which the ingredients are added matters. This helps the flavors bloom and develop, for an even more delicious soup.

The chicken cooks right in the broth, and is later shredded and added back in- giving even more depth of flavor to the finished soup!

Karibe knives cutting veggies

The best way to cut bacon

My preferred method of cutting bacon into small strips is by using a handy pair of kitchen shears (like the ones in this set). This way, you can easily cut it without it sliding all over a cutting board, AND you can cut it directly over the pot. Less mess and aggravation- a win-win.

Karibe kitchen shears

Adding the “Creamy” to the orzo soup

To make this soup creamy and delicious, you’ll make a roux of equal parts butter and flour in a separate saucepan. Add the heavy cream to the roux, and whisk. This will cook for a few minutes until a thick sauce is developed. The sauce will serve as the thickener for the soup. Just add the into the soup simmering on low heat, and whick well to combine. You’ll then add the cooked orzo and shredded chicken, and cook a bit more until the soup is nice and thick.

Karibe Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup with Bacon-56

Serving suggestions

Aside from the reserved crispy bacon, another great addition to the soup is some shaved parmesan cheese. Use a vegetable peeler to shave ultra thin slices, and top the hot soup with them. Serve the soup alongside some good crusty bread and a side salad.

Karibe peeler shaving parmesan

The Karibe Cookware- Assets to any kitchen!

Knives Set with Stand & Sharpener

Karibe is a black-owned business in New Jersey, offering quality cookware since 2018! When you Cook with Karibe, you know you’re working with quality tools that are durable, easy to use, and designed with the user in mind.

Their 16 piece Knives Set comes with an assortment of quality kitchen knives, a peeler, kitchen shears, and a sharpener! The Compact and stylish holder is easy to store, and less clunky and counter hogging than a standard knife block. While Karibe recommends hand-washing- these knives ARE dishwasher safe, if you prefer to wash as many dishes as possible, like your’s truly.

Black Walnut Cutting Board

This sleek, stylish and sturdy cutting board is a nice size for small to medium dishes, and is beautiful enough to display as a cheese board! Made of natural wood board has a unique asymmetrical shape, and a convenient storage saving cutout for easy hanging!

karibe black walnut cutting board

You really can’t go wrong with the beautifully crafted set of stainless steel knives, or the black walnut cutting board. They are a great addition for any cook- fro novice to professional! Add a little Karibe Kulture to your kitchen!

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Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon

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Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon
Print Recipe

Creamy Orzo Soup with Chicken and Bacon

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dinner
Keyword: chicken dinner, chicken soup, soup
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 5 strips of bacon, cut into small strips
  • 1 rib of celery with leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 small shallot, diced 
  • 2-3 small carrots, cut into 1/4" rounds 
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, diced 
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley 
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
  • 1/4 tsp dry thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika 
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs 
  • 64 oz chicken stock
  • 2 cups cooked orzo (1 cup uncooked orzo) 
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.
    2. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 8-12 minutes.
    3. Remove from the crisp bacon from the pot, and set on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside for later.
    4. Reduce the heat to medium-low Add the celery, shallot, carrot and red pepper to the pot with the bacon fat, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook 7-10 minutes, until slightly softened.
    5. Add the parsley, garlic, dry thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika, and cook 1 minute, until just fragrant.
    6. Add the chicken stock and chicken thighs, and bring heat to high.
    7. Bring to a boil.
    8. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer soup for 20 minutes.
    9. While soup simmers, cook orzo according to package directions for al dente, drain, and set aside. Reserve pot for making roux.
    10. Make the roux- add butter to reserved saucepan and melt over medium-low. Add the flour and stir or whisk well to combine. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat until ready to use.
    11. After soup is summered 20 minutes remove cooked chicken thighs to cutting board and shred.
    12. Once chicken is cooked and shredded, reduce soup to low and whisk in the roux/cream mixture, being sure to stir vigorously until well combined.
    13. Add the cooked orzo and shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste
    14. Adjust heat to medium-low and cook the soup uncovered for 5-10 minutes more, until slightly thickened.
    15. Serve with reserved bacon and shaved parmesan cheese.

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