Bacon Jalapeno Chicken Campanelle

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cheesy chicken jalapeno soup

Chicken. Bacon. Jalapeno. Three of my favorite flavors cooked up in one delicious summertime soup.

We’re living through some crazy times in the year 2020. If you’re reading this post in the future, we’re in the midst of a global pandemic.

At the beginning of quarantine, many common noodles like spaghetti, elbow and rotini noodles were bought up, leaving more uncommon noodles like lasagna noodles and campanelle noodles behind.

I picked up a box of these campanelle noodles – I guess I can thank the pandemic for introducing me to a new kind of noodle, as I had never paid any attention to it before amongst the many options of noodles that are usually readily available.

Campanelle is Italian for “little bell” and are made to capture little pockets of sauce in their twisted center. The noodles remind me of the edges of lasagna noodles, if a lasagna noodle were cut into pieces and curled.

Now that summer has officially arrived, you would think that eating soup would be off the menu. But think again! Some of the best soup flavors are in their prime in early summer, meaning savory soups are also in their prime.

Originally, this soup was meant to be a deconstructed version of one of my favorite sandwiches: the bacon jalapeno spicy chicken from Wendy’s. But it turned out to be so much more – and definitely one of my go to soups any time of the year!

The thing about this soup is that the campanelle perfectly captures little bursts of creamy, savory flavor. And when paired with tendered hand shredded chicken, spicy jalapenos and crispy bacon – this soup is hands down going to be your new favorite.

Every year, I like to grow a variety of tomatoes and spicy peppers, so personally I can’t wait until harvest season to remake this soup entirely from ingredients I grew myself.

The creamy and cheesy nature of this soup means it’s the perfect dipping consistency. I served my soup with some cheddar bay biscuits (I’ll admit I cheated and made these from the box – but who can resist, they’re perfection!).

And maybe what’s better, you can enjoy this soup hot or cold, depending on the temperature outdoors!

I topped my soup with a handful of crispy French fried onoins, sweet and spicy pickled jalapenos and a generous dollop of plain Greek yogurt. And don’t forget some extra cheese too!

jalapeno chicken soup

Bacon Jalapeno Chicken Campanelle

The Starving Chef
The flavors of summer packed into a simple soup with finely shredded chicken, crispy bacon and spicy jalapenoes.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Soup, Summer
Cuisine Soup
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • ½ cup mozzarella shredded
  • 2 cups cooked campanelle noodles
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 jalapeno chopped
  • ½ cup red onion chopped
  • 6 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pickled jalapeno for topping, to taste
  • sour cream for topping

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked through – about 20 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken from the water and use a hand mixer to finely shred. Boil the campanelle noodles according to the instructions on the box.
  • Meanwhile, in a thick bottomed pot over medium high heat, sear the bacon until crispy then remove and set aside. Reserve the grease in the pot.
  • Make a roux by adding the butter and flour to the pot. Stir until thickened and the flour is starting to brown. Then add the cheeses and broth. Continue to stir until a thick sauce forms and begins to bubble.
  • Stir in the jalapeno, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Next add in the cooked chicken and campanelle noodles. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. When the chicken and noodles are heated through again, remove from the heat.
  • Serve with cheddar biscuits and top generously with sour cream, pickled and jalapenos to your liking. Enjoy!
Keyword chicken, noodles, soup, spicy, summer
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