Elevate This Weeknight Soup With Orzo The key ingredient in this simple and delicious soup is orzo. Orzo is the Italian word for barley, but names can be deceiving, because orzo is not a grain. And despite its rice shape, orzo is not rice, even though orzo is also known as risoni in Italy. Confused? Don’t be. Orzo is a pasta made from semolina flour, and when cooked it imparts a creamy texture to soups and pasta dishes—and yes, it can also stand in as a substitute for rice, or even as an addition to rice dishes, such as rice pilaf.