Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
Warm, hearty, and loaded with flavor, this Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup is the kind of comfort food that never disappoints. It comes together with minimal effort and cooks in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
I'm all about hearty soups that taste like they've been simmering all day, but they're even better when they can be made without the wait. This easy beef and barley soup is a weeknight winner, made with simple ingredients and packed with tender beef, veggies, and nutty barley. Comfort food at its best, ready in a fraction of the time.
For more barley soup recipes, try this turkey barley soup and this white bean and ham soup as another high-protein option.
Why This Soup Has My Heart
There are a lot of soups I love, but this beef and barley soup is on repeat often! The Instant Pot makes it taste like I've been standing at the stove for hours, when really, dinner's ready before I've even finished tidying the kitchen. It's hearty, cozy, and always hits the spot when the weather turns cool.
LynIngredients + Substitutions
- Veggies: I use onions, carrots, and celery to help build the flavors in the base of the soup. Green beans are optional, but I love them in this because they add more nutrition and texture.
- Beef: Stew beef or beef chuck is fine here. The beef chuck has a good amount of connective tissue, which contains collagen. Cut it into 1-inch pieces so they all cook at the same rate.
- Broth and Bouillon: I use a combination of low-sodium beef broth and beef bouillon to get deep, concentrated flavors into the soup broth. Feel free to use the cubes or paste. If you use regular beef broth, I would leave out the salt and add it to taste.
- Herbs: Dried thyme and rosemary work well in this recipe, but fresh herbs may be used instead. I also add bay leaves to enhance the flavors of the ingredients. Just don't forget to take them out before serving.
- Barley: Pearl barley works best when cooking in the Instant Pot because it yields the ideal texture, pairs well with the beef and vegetables, and cooks faster.
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
Recipe Variations
- Gluten-free: If you want a gluten-free version, swap the barley for quinoa or rice.
- Add more veggies: You can't go wrong with more veggies! Canned corn, sliced mushrooms, fresh spinach, or kale are great additions. Try some of this homemade veggie stock, too!
- Use beer: Swap 1-2 cups of broth with a dark beer to boost umami flavor and add body to the barley and beef soup.
- Make it creamy: Stir in ½-1 cup of heavy cream towards the end of cooking to make a creamier version.
- Budget-friendly: Swap the beef stew meat for ground beef instead.
How to Make Beef Barley Soup in the Instant Pot
To get started, I like to make sure all of my ingredients are gathered, chopped, and measured. It ensures that preparing this Instant Pot beef and barley soup recipe goes smoothly!
Step 1: Sauté the veggies. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and green beans to the pot over high heat on the saute setting. Cook the veggies for about 4-5 minutes, and then transfer them to a bowl.
Step 2: Brown the beef. Add the cubes of beef and allow them to brown on all sides for about 5-6 minutes.
Step 3: Add the garlic and broth. Stir in the garlic and cook it for about a minute or until it's fragrant. Pour in your beef broth and give it a good stir. Ensure that you scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Step 4: Stir in spices. Return the veggies to the pot after you turn off the saute setting, along with the remaining ingredients, minus the tomato paste and barley. Stir the mixture well.
Step 6: Add the barley. Finally, stir in the tomato paste and pearl barley.
Step 7: Pressure cook it. Lock the lid and pressure cook the soup on high for 20 minutes. Then, let it naturally release pressure for 5 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy with some crusty bread!
Lyn's Top Tips
- Don't Skip the Sear: This locks in the flavor of the beef and gives it some color.
- Deglaze the Instant Pot: When preparing soup in the Instant Pot, it's common to get the burn warning. To prevent this, deglaze the bottom of the pot with some broth before layering the tomato paste and barley.
- Brown the meat in batches: I find that to get a crust on the pieces of beef, I have to brown them in batches. This will ensure that you get plenty of color to add depth of flavor to the soup.
- Refrigerating leftovers: Place any leftover beef and barley soup into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing tips: I recommend freezing it in individual portions, so you only thaw what you need. You can keep the soup in the freezer for up to 3 months, and transfer it to the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
- How to reheat: All soups are best reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop. The microwave works in a pinch since it's not a creamy soup, and it should take 1-2 minutes on high. Keep the saucepan over medium-low heat, and it will be hot and ready in less than 10 minutes.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
- Top your bowl of beef and barley soup with your favorite crackers, a sprinkle of cheese like parmesan, or a dash of hot sauce for some heat.
- If you want some more sides that you can dip in that rich broth, goat cheese balls and cheddar biscuits are my favorite things to make.
- I love a good, classic grilled cheese sandwich with a hot bowl of this soup. Try a brie grilled cheese if you're feeling fancy.
Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Recipe FAQs
Sure! Sear your beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for around 1-2 minutes per side. Then, add the pieces and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook it for about 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Of course. You'll treat it the same as you would when sauteeing in the Instant Pot. Then, allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding the barley during the last 30 minutes.
No, pearl barley has been hulled, and part of the bran (outer protective layer) has been removed, so it doesn't need to be soaked first.
Yes, you can! It will cook in the same amount of time as the pearled barley. It doesn't need to be rinsed so just add it to the pot directly from the package.
Barley releases gluten as it cooks so the soup will naturally thicken a bit. If it's not thick enough for you, mix together 1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and stir it in after cooking the soup in the Instant Pot. Allow it to cook in the saute setting for five minutes to thicken.
More Delicious Instant Pot Soups
Did you try this soup recipe? Please leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating if you loved it and your comments below! For more recipes, you can follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 ½ cups sliced green beans optional
- 1 ½ lbs stew beef or beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme or 1 ½ tablespoons fresh
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup pearl barley rinsed
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the avocado or olive oil in the Instant Pot HIGH heat sauté setting. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and green beans (if using), and sauté, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Very carefully remove the vegetables and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot. Add the stew beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until browned on all sides.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Note: This is important not just for flavor but also to prevent burn notice; the broth will help to release any stuck-on bits.
- Turn off the sauté setting. Stir in the reserved sautèed veggies, beef bouillon, dried thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves until well combined.
- Add the tablespoon of tomato paste and rinsed pearl barley. Layer them on top of the liquids, gently pressing the barley in until submerged but not stirring (this also prevents the burn notice).
- Lock on the pressure cooker lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Natural-release the pressure for 5 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Unlock the pressure cooker lid. Remove the bay leaves, stir the soup well to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy hot!
Recipe Tips
- To avoid a burn warning on your Instant Pot, deglaze it with some broth (scrape up the brown bits at the bottom) before you add the tomato paste and barley.
- There's no need to soak the pearly barley before cooking it. It comes hulled and ready to go!
- If you can't find traditional pearled barley, you can substitute quick-cooking barley. The cooking time is the same, but the barley does not need to be rinsed.
