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Home » Course » Dinner » Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef

Published: Oct 18, 2019 · Modified: Nov 12, 2020 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef

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This classic hearty Instant Pot Barley Soup is loaded with nutritious vegetables, tender beef, and barley. It’s an easy comforting winter soup recipe made in one pot!

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef in a bowl.

When it’s getting cold outside, all you want is a bowl of a warm hearty soup. This Barley Soup is not only packed with nutritious ingredients, like vegetables, whole grain barley, and tender beef, but also is super easy to make in your Instant Pot.

Like my other soups (Borscht and Chicken Soup), this Beef Barley Soup is perfect for meal prepping. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days and will get even more flavorful.

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef in a bowl.

How to make it

Here are a few easy steps to make this delicious hearty Beef Barley Soup.

  1. SEAR THE MEAT.

To start, we need to rinse and pat dry the beef stew meat. If the pieces are too big, cut them in about 1×1 inch cubed.

NOTE 1: I like to cut the meat smaller to make sure it will be perfectly cooked.

Set your Instant Pot on “SAUTE”, add some olive oil, and let the oil get hot.

When the oil is hot, add half of the beef and sear until it’s browned. Then take it out and repeat the same with another batch.

NOTE 2: I like to brown the meat in 2-3 batches. If you put in everything at once, the meat will be overcrowded and start boiling in its own juices. When you sear beef in batches, there is more space in-between of each piece, that allows them to brown.

NOTE 3: When you brown the meat, it’s important not to stir it too much. Just put it in a single layer, leaving some space in-between, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it gets a nice crust, then flip it and cook more.

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef in a pot.

  1. SAUTE THE VEGETABLES.

When the beef is browned, take it out of the pot to a separate bowl and set aside.

Add diced onion and celery and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until they are translucent and softened.

Then add minced garlic and cook for another minute.

After that, deglaze the pot with Beef Broth.

  1. ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS.

Now we can turn off Instant Pot and add the rest of the ingredients (browned beef, diced tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, barley, and water).

Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is set to “SEAL”.

Cook the soup for 20 minutes on “HIGH” pressure.

When done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.

After the soup is cooked, taste it and add more salt to your liking.

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef in a bowl.

MORE COMFORT MEALS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Borscht Soup with Beef
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Dutch Oven Beef Stew
  • One Pot Chicken and Rice
  • Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
  • Pasta with Meat Sauce
  • Easy Mongolian Beef

MORE INSTANT POT RECIPE YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Instant Pot Pot Roast
  • Instant Pot Chicken Soup
  • Instant Pot Pulled Pork
  • Instant Pot Chicken Wings
  • Instant Pot Boneless Short Ribs
  • Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef

Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef in a bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Barley Soup with Beef

This classic hearty Instant Pot Barley Soup is loaded with nutritious vegetables, tender beef, and barley. It’s an easy comforting winter soup recipe made in one pot
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 501kcal
Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat cut in 1x1 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 6 small potatoes cut in quarters
  • 1 cup barley rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse and pat dry 2 pounds beef stew meat. If the pieces are too big, cut them in about 1x1 inch cubed.
  • Set your Instant Pot on “SAUTE”, add 2 tbsp olive oil, and let the oil get hot.
  • When the oil is hot, add half of the beef and sear until it’s browned. Then take it out and repeat the same with another batch.
  • When the beef is browned, take it out of the pot to a separate bowl and set aside.
  • Add 1 diced onion and 2 stalks diced celery and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until they are translucent and softened.
  • Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add 4 cups beef broth and deglaze the pot.
  • Turn off Instant Pot and add the rest of the ingredients (browned beef, 15 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 diced carrots, 6 diced potatoes, 1 cup barley, and 2 cups water).
  • Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is set to “SEAL”.
  • Cook the soup for 20 minutes on “HIGH” pressure.
  • When done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
  • When done, taste the soup and add more salt to your liking.

Video

Notes

NOTE 1: I like to cut the meat in smaller cubes to make sure it will be perfectly cooked.
NOTE 2: I like to brown the meat in 2-3 batches. If you put in everything at once, the meat will be overcrowded and start boiling in its own juices. When you sear beef in batches, there is more space in-between of each piece, that allows them to brown.
NOTE 3: When you brown the meat, it’s important not to stir it too much. Just put it in a single layer, leaving some space in-between, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it gets a nice crust, then flip it and cook more.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 1668mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3480IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 11mg
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Robin H says

    January 12, 2022 at 8:02 pm

    5 stars
    Ok, I just made this and it’s the best ever recipe for beef barley soup!! I did add a bay leaf and a little basil. Superb, my husband is raving

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 17, 2022 at 9:26 am

      Thank you so much, Robin! I’m so happy you both enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  2. Gay says

    January 11, 2022 at 4:35 pm

    I just put mine in my instant pot and can’t wait for it to be done!

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 17, 2022 at 9:27 am

      Let me know how it came out 😉 Hope you like it!

      Reply
  3. Lorrie says

    January 21, 2021 at 10:50 am

    How would it change if I wanted to use ox tails instead of the stew meat?? Thanks

    Reply
  4. Emily says

    November 13, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    Making this week! Will be my first time using my instant pot.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      November 16, 2020 at 8:54 am

      Yaay! Good luck,with your new IP! Just make sore you brown the beef tips long enough to get the crisp. The rest is very simple 😉

      Reply
  5. Marybeth says

    September 17, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    I hope this uses Quick Barley – that is all I have.

    Reply
  6. Tanya says

    December 19, 2019 at 2:05 pm

    The soup was delicious, except that i’ve Added 4 cups of water instead of 2.
    Thank you for the recipe:)

    Reply
  7. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    October 27, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    It’s a cold and rainy day here in Pittsburgh and this soup is exactly what I herd! It looks scrumptious!

    Reply
  8. Chef Dennis says

    October 26, 2019 at 5:00 pm

    I would love to sit down to a big bowl of that soup. It really is my kind of comfort food and I don’t get barley often enough

    Reply
  9. Denise says

    October 26, 2019 at 8:43 am

    Your soup is a must try for this winter season for sure. It looks so comforting and filling, it will be a great easy dinner.

    Reply
  10. Tammy says

    October 25, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    Your photos are beautiful! I wish I could reach in and grab a bowl of this soup…it looks absolutely delicious and comforting!

    Reply
  11. Tara says

    October 24, 2019 at 11:47 am

    I just bought an Instant Pot so I’m on the hunt for great soups for the fall and winter, and this beef barley soup definitely hits all the marks for me! It looks so hearty and cozy! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

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