This Instant Pot beef and barley soup combines tender beef, chewy barley, and vegetables in a rich, savory broth. Oregano and basil give this cozy classic a little extra flavor, making it a satisfying one pot dinner for chilly evenings.
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Beef Barley Soup Just Like Mom’s, But Quicker
I love a hearty soup that can be dinner all on its own and this one fits the bill: tender beef, chewy barley, and plenty of vegetables in a rich broth. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting. The beef gets fall-apart tender in a fraction of the time it would take on the stove, and everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is a breeze. Just add some bread for dipping.
It reheats beautifully and freezes well, so I usually make a big batch for lunches later in the week.
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef: Use beef stew meat or boneless chuck roast cut into evenly sized cubes for even cooking.
- Pearl Barley: Adds a pleasantly chewy texture and makes the soup hearty and filling. Use regular pearl barley for this recipe, quick cooking and hulled barley need different cooking times.
- All-purpose flour: A light coating helps the beef brown and gives the broth a little body.
- Olive oil: For browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables. Avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil works too.
- Onion, carrots, and celery: This classic combination builds a flavorful base. Yellow or white onion works well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds savory flavor. Mince or crush the cloves so they blend into the broth.
- Tomato Paste: Adds richness and depth without making the soup taste overly tomatoey.
- Oregano & basil: Give the broth a delicious herbal flavor. You can substitute ½ teaspoon dried basil for the ½ tablespoon fresh basil.
- Beef broth: Adds a rich, savory base. Low sodium broth gives you more control over the seasoning. Taste the finished soup before adding extra salt.
- Water: Used along with the broth to provide enough liquid for cooking the beef and barley.
- Salt and black pepper: Season the beef, then adjust the finished soup to your taste, especially if your broth is already salty.
Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
Equipment
- Instant pot
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Beef stew meat or boneless chuck roast, cut into evenly sized cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 tbsps all purpose flour
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed or minced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh basil chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 cups beef broth
- ¾ cup pearl barley
Instructions
- Place the beef in a medium bowl. Add the salt, black pepper, and flour, then toss until evenly coated.
- Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat the olive oil. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pot, transferring browned beef to a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the oregano, basil, and tomato paste.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of the hot water. Scrape the bottom thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen all browned bits.
- Return any reserved beef and its juices to the pot. Add the remaining 1 cup water, beef broth, and pearl barley. Stir to combine. Keep the contents below your appliance’s half full limit as the food will expand.
- Cancel the Sauté setting. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes then release the remaining pressure manually. Once all the pressure is released, carefully open the lid, keeping your face away from the steam.
- Stir the soup and check that the beef and barley are tender. If needed, simmer on Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Add a little extra broth if you prefer a thinner soup. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
- Use regular pearl barley. Quick-cooking barley and hulled barley require different cooking methods or times and should not be substituted directly.
- The barley continues absorbing liquid as the soup sits. Add broth or water when reheating to loosen it.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Freeze cooled soup in individual portions. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave individual portions until heated through.
Nutrition
Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, place beef stew then add salt, black pepper and flour. Toss to coat.
- Turn on your instant pot to the sauté option, heat oil then add beef stew.
- Sauté until beef is browned; this will take about 5 minutes.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes.
- Add oregano, basil and tomato paste and mix them in. Pour one cup of water and deglaze the bottom of your instant pot. Add the remaining water, stock and barley.
- Cancel the sauté option, cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes making sure the valve is set to sealed. Let it naturally release the pressure for 5-10 minutes then do a quick release.
Expert Tips
- I do not like using hulled barley in this recipe but if you must then increase the cooking time by 10 minutes. Hulled barley needs more time to cook and this might make the veggies mushy.
- Reheat on stove top on medium or in the microwave.
- You can use low-sodium beef broth for this recipe if you prefer. You can also make your own beef bone broth and add it for more richness.
- A bay leaf can be added with the seasonings as well, just remember to take it out before serving.
Make Ahead
You can make the soup ahead of time, cool and then store until you're ready to reheat it. Easily reheat on your stove top or in your microwave.
Serve With
This soup is hearty enough by itself, however a loaf of crusty bread or even garlic bread goes so well with this soup recipe.
Variations
- Add some small chopped up potatoes. The potatoes can be added after the barley and then continue on with the recipe.
- Use Italian seasoning or dried thyme if you like more herbs in your soup.
- A touch of Worcestershire sauce adds a great taste.
- Mushrooms are a great addition too. Add sliced mushrooms when you add the onions.
- Red pepper flakes are a fabulous way to add a little kick to your barley soup.
Storage
Store leftover instant pot beef and barley soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days or in your freezer for 4-6 months.
FAQs
Nope! Pearl barley does not have to be soaked before cooking as it will quickly become tender while it cooks.
Beef barley soup is tender chunks of beef stew meat cooked in a rich and flavorful broth with barley, veggies and seasonings.
Here is a trick I've learned to reheat soup quickly in instant pot. Pour soup in your instant pot, cover and seal then pressure cook for zero minutes. The instant pot will reheat the soup while it is building pressure.
Building up the pressure and preheating the instant pot depends on the size, brand and the content inside your instant pot. As a general rule it takes anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes, so on average we are talking about 13-15 minutes. However cooking ingredients on the saute option first drastically decreases that number and in my case it took only 5 minutes to preheat.
More Soups
- Lebanese Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Harira soup recipe
- Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Potato Soup
- Moroccan Beef Tajine
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Della
I'm going to make this on Wednesday. It looks godd!
Rani
Came out great!Excellent with delicious flavor.
Elaine
Hi Amira
Can this be made in a crock pot?If yes, how long and on a high or low setting? Love your recipes!
Elaine
Amira
Sure thing, 9 out of 10 times I like to brown the meat first before adding it to a slow cooker so do that then add all the ingredients and cook on low for 7-8 hours or low for 5 hours.
Nancy Karlen
Amira-
I have made an American version of beef and barley soup for ages--I tried your version and it was met with great approval!!! The oregano and basil add a different flavor that my husband enjoyed.
Thanks