Chicken marsala soup is your favorite, classic, Italian dish turned into a warm, comforting bowl of soup. This thick and creamy chicken barley soup is seasoned with rosemary, the rich flavors of mushrooms, and white wine.
Soups, stews, and chilis are a staple in the winter kitchen. If you walk into my kitchen during the winter months, you are almost guaranteed to find a large pot of soup simmering away all day long.
Not only are these dishes easy, but they can feed a large mob of children (something I know very well), they are highly nutritious, and they produce very little waste.
When we took on a simple life here on our homestead, we wanted to be more resourceful with our land and how we eat. We were seeking a more intentional way of life.
One day the dairy cows will produce milk, not just to drink or to provide cream for our coffee, but also to enjoy throughout the year with homemade yogurt and raw butter that is put up. The milk doesn’t go to waste. Whatever we don’t use can be given to other animals on the farm. We don’t want anything to go to waste.
Soup is the perfect meal for avoiding waste. Onion, carrot, and celery ends can be used to flavor the bone broth. Bones and the less desirable cuts of meat enrich the broth. Random leftover veggies can often be thrown in, as well. All of these come together to make a delicious and nutritious meal.
Chicken marsala is one of my favorite dishes, so I decided to take that meal and turn it into a nourishing soup.
Tips For Making Chicken Marsala Soup
- You can make this gluten-free by using cornstarch in place of flour. Instead of adding it to the celery, shallots, and carrots, create a slurry with water and cornstarch and add towards the end. Also, swap out barley for rice. For a non-dairy option, you can use oil (slightly less) and almond milk or full fat coconut milk in place of cream. The flavor will change slightly, but you’ll still end up with a delicious soup.
- Fresh rosemary works best, but if fresh is not available, you can certainly use dried. I like to rub it between my fingers to help break up the larger pieces and help release the flavor. Plus, my kids don’t enjoy a surprising sprig of rosemary in their teeth.
- Choose your favorite dry white wine. Whatever you enjoy drinking, go with that!
- Use homemade bone broth for the best flavor and nutrition. But if you are in a pinch or forgot to start your broth, store-bought will also work.
Why you will love this recipe:
It’s pretty darn quick. Since it utilizes pre-cooked chicken, this recipe comes together quickly.
Mushrooms: I love mushrooms, and they add such a rich and savory flavor to the soup.
It combines all the flavors of the classic Italian-American dish to make the most comforting soup.
It’s a great way to utilize bone broth. We try to get bone broth in our diets a few times a week, and this delicious soup makes it easy.
What can I use if I don’t have barley?
You can easily use rice or noodles. I would recommend cooking them before adding them to the soup.
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Tools you may need:
Dutch Oven or large pot
Cutting board
Knife
Liquid and dry measuring cups
How To Make Chicken Marsala Soup
In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté celery, carrots, and shallots (or onions) in butter until they start to become translucent. It should take about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Saute mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter until soft, and set aside.
Sprinkle in flour and stir. Cook for a few minutes to remove the flour taste.
Meanwhile, cook two large chicken breasts in one tablespoon of butter. Get the skillet hot and sear both sides, then cook on low, until cooked through. Slice thin and set aside. You could also skip this part if you have leftover cooked shredded chicken from other meals.
Deglaze the chicken skillet with the white wine.
Add white wine and chicken drippings, chicken broth, barley, and garlic to the soup pot with the veggies. Simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken back to the soup pot and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the barley is soft.
Add the sautéd mushrooms back in, plus fresh rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour in cream and stir.
Serve with crusty sourdough bread and butter.
Find More Dinner Inspiration Straight From The Farmhouse Kitchen:
- Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie
- Cheeseburger soup
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
- Lemon Rosemary Chicken
If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate if you could come back, comment on the post, and give it 5 stars! Thanks.
Chicken Marsala Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 carrots, sliced or shredded
- 2 shallots, or 1 onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons flour, or cornstarch for GF
- 8 cups homemade broth
- 1/2 cup barley
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté celery, carrots, and shallots (or onions) in butter until they start to become translucent. Saute mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter until soft; set aside.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir. Cook for a few minutes.Meanwhile, cook two large chicken breasts in one table spoon of butter. Get the skillet hot and sear both sides and then cook on low, until cooked through. Slice into thin strips, and set aside. Deglaze the chicken skillet with the white wine.
- Add white wine and chicken drippings, chicken broth, barley, and garlic to the soup pot with the veggies. Simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the soup pot and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the barley is soft.
- Add the sautéd mushrooms back in, plus the fresh rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cream and stir.
Notes
- You can make this gluten-free by using cornstarch in place of flour. Instead of adding it to the celery, shallots, and carrots, create a slurry with water and cornstarch and add towards the end. Also, swap out barley for rice.
- Use homemade bone broth for the best flavor and nutrition. But if you are in a pinch or forgot to start your broth, store-bought will also work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Where’s the Marsala wine in this recipe?
Made this with marsala wine and its the most delicious soup I have ever tasted! 😋
Although, I haven’t tried with white wine yet. I’m sure it’d be just as tasty!
While this does seem like it would be a tasty soup, I don’t think you can call it Chicken Marsala soup when it doesn’t even have marsala wine in it. White wine is not marsala.
Is there a reason you don’t use Marsala wine?
I tried your Sausage & Sauerkraut soup with the barley. It was a hit. You have introduced me to barley, and continue to use it in my soups. Also, using Kimchi more often. I actually used kimchi instead of the sauerkraut!
This sounds good and I’m planning to make it tonight- just wondering why you use white wine for marsala soup and not marsala wine?
Hello, this cold weather (-26C) is making me want to try this soup. Unfortunately the print button is not working for the Chicken Marsala Soup. I updated Chrome and it’s still not working. Just thought I should let you know. Stay warm.
This was delicious, but it took much longer (about the usual 40 minutes) for my barley to cook. Did you use quick cooking barley, or was the barley supposed to be pre-cooked? Also, white wine made a nice tasting soup, but this didn’t give the Marsala flavor I was looking for.
I agree, it took longer. But mine was tasty! I cheated though and used a rotisserie chicken, which I think would have tasted better with the breast/deglazing. I also used 1/3 cup white wine vinegar and 1/3 cup water instead of alcohol since we don’t drink. It was good. I would make it again but I don’t like so many mushrooms