When you think of your favorite bottle of wine, what about it do you like best? Maybe it’s the fruity flavor in a Shiraz, the crispness in a Pinot Grigio or the subtle sweetness in Prosecco. Now, think beyond the glass — and into your skillet, soup cauldron and baking dish! There are countless ways to start cooking with wine, and the best part is you’ll never waste a drop.
First up: deglazing. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook with wine. Just add a splash of vino to your skillet once your food is cooked to get all the browned bits and spices off the pan. Next: You can also use wine to prepare a marinade or brine to infuse your dish with mouthwatering flavor. Another popular method: braising meat with wine so it becomes extra tender and falls right off the bone. The possibilities are endless, so pop off that cork and start pouring over these delicious recipes.
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Recipes with White Wine
1. Creamy Mussel Soup
If you can’t fly to Paris, this flavorful soup is sure to flex your French cooking muscles. In this recipe, the broth calls for dry white wine, like a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris, to balance the spicy and savory flavors of the chili and garlic. Note that Pinot Grigio has a more full-bodied, spicier flavor than Pinot Gris, which is lighter-bodied and has a fruity, floral aroma. Sprinkle some fresh parsley over the soup once the mussels are cooked. You’ll know when they are ready when their shells start to open. Then, grab some toasted sourdough bread and dip! Photo and recipe: Therese Elstad / My Nordic Kitchen
2. Spinach Chickpea & Heirloom Tomato Prawn Sauté
Give deglazing with wine a try with this 15-minute recipe. In a large saucepan, cook the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and shrimp for about two minutes. Then, add the sherry wine and lemon juice before adding the spinach and cooked quinoa. The sweetness of the sherry wine complements the acidity in the lemon juice and the naturally salty flavor of the shrimp. Photo and recipe: Christal Sczebal / Nutrition in the Kitch
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3. Tilapia With Kale and Caper Wine Sauce
Tilapia cooks in minutes, which makes this dish the perfect weeknight meal. Simply heat a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sear the tilapia fillets until they’re cooked through on each side. Set the filets aside, then add a half-cup of white wine to the same skillet and cook the kale and capers. The white wine not only helps soften up the kale but also enhances the flavor of the capers. Photo and recipe: Dana Sandonato / Killing Thyme
4. Champagne Caramel Popcorn & Bacon Truffle Parmesan Popcorn
Store-bought caramel corn is loaded with sugar and other processed ingredients. But this homemade cracker jack recipe will satisfy your cravings for something sweet, salty and crunchy. Truffle salt and freshly grated Parmesan lend savory, buttery flavor, while cooked bacon bits make it crunchier. Champagne adds a boozy finish to the vanilla caramel sauce and helps tame the sweetness. Photo and recipe: Jessica Merchant / How Sweet Eats
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5. One-Pot French Onion Farro
Get the same savory flavors in a French onion soup for less than half the fat and double the protein and fiber. Instead of using butter, you’ll use olive oil and a dry white wine to deglaze caramelized onions. And rather than white flour, hearty, whole-grain farro helps add a chewy texture. But this recipe isn’t entirely indulgence-free. The crostini get a sprinkling of Gruyere, baked in the oven to perfection. Photo and recipe: Karen Raye / Kitchen Treaty
6. Summer Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Summer is almost here. Time to pop the champagne! Here, a little brut is used to prepare the vinaigrette that’s made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard. And for the base: in-season asparagus, fennel and romaine lettuce are a great way to change up your greens. Sprinkle some pee shoots and sunflower seeds and you’ve got some bite. Photo and recipe: Julie and Debbie / Cooks With Cocktails
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Recipes with Red Wine
7. Balsamic Fig Chicken Marsala
The sweetness of the figs comes through beautifully in the balsamic glaze. Browning the chicken before adding in the balsamic glaze ingredients helps it soak in all the flavors as it completely cooks through. The glaze also features Marsala wine, which is sold as dry or sweet. Dry Marsala is recommended as an apéritif or for savory dishes, like this one, but it’s interchangeable with the sweet version. Just be aware that sweet Marsala has a thicker consistency and is better suited for desserts. Photo and recipe: Kristen Stevens / The Endless Meal
8. Red Wine Beef Stew
You know steak is so good when it just melts in your mouth. And you have the red wine beef broth in this recipe to thank for it. In this incredibly easy recipe, all you have to do is throw all the ingredients into a large slow cooker. You’ll use a half-cup of dry red wine to prepare the flavorful broth. You’ll want to opt for a full-bodied red wine, like a Malbec, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, to complement the onions, tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms in the dish. The broth gets an even bigger boost with bay leaves, oregano, rosemary and cloves. Photo and recipe: Amanda Platt / The Skinny Fork
9. Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
There’s nothing like a full-bodied red wine to take this spicy Italian sausage dish up a notch. In a skillet, cook ground Italian sausage with oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Then, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes and balsamic dressing to the mixture and let it simmer. Once the whole-wheat pasta is cooked, combine it with the sauce. Top with Parmesan and chopped basil, and then dig in! Photo and recipe: Lindsay Ostrom / Pinch of Yum
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10. Cioppino
This classic fish stew gets a special twist with a big dollop of mashed potatoes. Cioppino is traditionally made with the catch of the day, and here you’ll see halibut, shrimp, sea scallops, calamari, mussels and clams. But the unsung star of the dish is dry white wine, which adds complexity and crispness to the tomato sauce. Season the sauce with dried oregano, red pepper flakes, dried parsley and bay leaves. Photo and recipe: Jessica Randhawa / Coffee and Crayons
11. Red Wine and Cocoa Frozen Yogurt
Satisfy your chocolate ice cream cravings with a spiked scoop of this fro-yo instead. The plain Greek yogurt offers filling protein, while unsweetened cocoa powder provides flavonoids — powerful antioxidants that can help reduce your risk for stroke and cancer. And, let’s not forget the benefits of red wine, which is packed with heart-boosting resveratrol. Photo and recipe: Dana Sandonato / Killing Thyme
12. Strawberry Moscato Cupcakes
These cupcakes look so pretty you almost can’t eat them. The cake batter is made with Moscato, eggs and plain Greek yogurt (to cut down the fat and up the protein). Pink Moscato adds a sweet boozy flavor without loading on more sugar. Use a sugar-free vanilla frosting to ice the cakes, or you can make your own by blending pureed strawberries, Greek yogurt and confectioner’s sugar or honey. Photo and recipe: Kelly / Eat Yourself Skinny