French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (2024)

Marsala wine is the secret to this deliciously easy French onion soup. Caramelized onions, in a rich beef broth seasoned with thyme and topped with croutons and melted cheese. A perfect comfort food for cold days!

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Bonjour! And that is the extent of French that I know.

Luckily speaking French is not a requirement for making a delicious cup of French onion soup. In fact, it's easy even if you don't really know how to cook! This recipe is a classic and is pretty simple.

The French have a few classics when it comes to food.

I do know that the French make some very savory things though. Particularly this little soup, you may have heard of it... French onion soup? You know, the kind with the melted cheese on top. Yeah, thought you may have heard of it. There's a little something special about this french onion soup though and that's the Marsala wine. I personally can't get enough of Marsala's earth flavor. You could also use Sherry or a dry white wine if you don't have Marsala on hand.

French Onion Soup is Surprisingly Easy to Make

Check out this video that shows the whole recipe process, step-by-step:

Love it when the Mr. Cooks

So this is actually a recipe I pulled out of the archives and re-upped it a little with the help of my better half. The Mr. surprised me tonight and cooked this soup for dinner and he made it look so good! Of course, I had to take some new photos of it. He patiently waited to eat until I was done. Gotta give the guy credit. He can be pretty sweet. It almost makes up for the fact that I had to pick up his underwear this morning and pretty much every morning. I guess it all evens out, right?

Soup is always in season, really.

Anyway, being the very last day of summer, it seems wrong to be eating soup. When you blog about food though, you've really got to stay ahead of the seasons so I feel we're always doing things a little early. Well, wait. I mean really that only applies specifically to cooking recipes. Nothing else are we on time for. Let me know just get that out there and not pretend like we are punctual people. We try. Really we do. It just doesn't always work.

This soup does require some baking...

So, below is my original little blurb that I decided to include because it reminded me of when I made and photographed this fancy french soup for the first time, almost exactly five years ago now. That feels so long ago but I actually remember the day perfectly well. It was October 2, 2010 and it was still hotter than a baking pan fresh out of the oven and upstairs in our over-the-garage apartment without air conditioning, there we were. Cooking. Soup. Not just any soup. Soup you have to also bake. We are weirdos.

The marsala wine and sugar are my secret ingredients to this french onion soup. Trust me it's worth the trip to the liquor store to get the wine. And with the left over wine you can try this great chicken marsala recipe recipe from allrecipes.com. Also one of my favorite dishes! I pretty much like anything cooked in wine, really. So, if you're a french onion soup lover, like me, then you will really enjoy this. Also, as with almost all of our recipes, its super easy to make.

You'll need some oven safe ramekins to get that melty cheese on top

To properly make French onion soup with the melted cheesy top, you will need oven-safe ramekins.

If you don't already have a set, check out this lovely 4-pack of gorgeous colors. I love my teal ones but if I had seen these instead they would be mine, lol!

French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (1)

Ingredients Needed to Make this French Onion Soup Recipe

You'll need 13 ingredients to make this recipe: croutons, thyme, salt, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, pepper, malt vinegar, Marsala wine, beef broth, sugar, butter, and of course lots of onions!

French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (2)

Want some more soup ideas?

Browse all my soup recipes!

This easy French onion soup recipes was featured on Hearth and Soul and Menu Plan Monday!

French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (3)

French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (4)

French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine

Author: Angela G.

Marsala wine is the secret to this deliciously easy French onion soup. Caramelized onions, in a rich beef broth seasoned with thyme and topped with croutons and melted cheese. A perfect comfort food for cold days!

5 from 3 reviews

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: French

Skill Level: Easy

Recipe Type: Beef, Fall, Soups

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Yield: 4 ramekins soups

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 onions sliced
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • ½ cup Marsala wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (ground or not, up to you)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 heaping tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon malt vinegar
  • 5 oz Caesar croutons
  • 6 slices provolone cheese
  • 2 slices Swiss cheese diced
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

  • Bring beef broth to a boil in a large pot. Add sugar and malt vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onions and thyme in butter until caramelized, about 3-5minutes. Scoop out onions and add to pot of beef broth. Deglaze the skillet by adding Marsala wine; bring to a boil and then scrape the sides. Carefully pour wine with flavorful onion bits into the pot of broth. Finally, season broth with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls or ramekins and place a handful of croutons in each. Sprinkle on Parmesan and Swiss cheese then layer 2 slices of provolone on top.

  • Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil on low in a preheated oven until cheese bubbles and turns golden brown. About 5-7 minutes.

Video

Notes

For added flavor be sure onions are caramelized but not burnt. Adjust heat as needed. Onions should be translucent with a light caramel brown color when done.

Add fresh or dried thyme in with butter and onions to bring out the most flavor of this herb.

You can skip the step of deglazing the onion skillet and add the Marsala wine directly to the broth, however, you'll miss out on some good flavor!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1428mg | Potassium: 878mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 755IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 429mg | Iron: 3mg

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French Onion Soup with Marsala Wine - Mighty Mrs | Super Easy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

Can you substitute Marsala for sherry in French onion soup? ›

There's a little something special about this french onion soup though and that's the Marsala wine. I personally can't get enough of Marsala's earth flavor. You could also use Sherry or a dry white wine if you don't have Marsala on hand.

What else can I use Marsala wine for? ›

Marsala is really useful for adding depth to sauces, as well as packing a punch in puddings. Try our recipes using Marsala wine, such as tiramisu, chicken Marsala and easy panettone. Why, you may ask, do we need another recipe for tiramisu? It is now as common as apple crumble.

Is white wine or red wine better in French onion soup? ›

A fruity, tart, dry white wine is a classic choice that will add a lighter, more delicate balance to the otherwise strong flavors of onions, beef broth, and cheese. Red wine has a robust, sophisticated profile that will offset the strength of the other ingredients and add yet another layer of intensity.

How to doctor up canned French onion soup? ›

Infusing the soup with a richer taste is as easy as quickly sauteing crushed garlic before pouring the soup in. Some soft, buttery garlic sauteed in earthy olive oil is the perfect addition to enrich canned French onion soup.

What spices add depth to soup? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

Does Marsala wine go bad? ›

A well-sealed and refrigerated opened bottle of Marsala can last for 4-6 months, retaining a large extent of its original taste profile.

What to use instead of white wine in French onion soup? ›

If you prefer not to use Wine, you can substitute 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar + chicken or beef broth to make 3/4 cup.

What wine goes with French onion soup? ›

The Best Wine for French Onion Soup: Dry Lambrusco

“The fruity and earthy flavors will complement the onions, the tannins will cut the richness of the cheese and, as it's served chilled, the temperature juxtaposition will be very fascinating for your palate.”

How to fix bland French onion soup? ›

Blend the onions into the bland broth. Meanwhile, deeply caramelize more onions. Deglaze the pan of onions with white wine. Add the broth back to the onions and bring to a simmer with several sprigs of fresh thyme.

How do you make soup taste stronger? ›

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

How do you get the depth of flavor in vegetable soup? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup. Stock: I much prefer chicken stock over vegetable stock in terms of flavor, though if you want to keep this soup vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth or stock instead.

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