The Best Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or oil of your choice); 12 oz stew meat (about 2 cups, cut into bite size pieces); 8 oz baby bella mushrooms (or cremini mushrooms, sliced); 1 onion (chopped); 1 1/2 teaspoons Montreal steak spice; 1 carrot (peeled & finely chopped); 1 parsnip (finely chopped); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 6 cups bone broth; 1 cup barley; salt & pepper (to taste); chopped greens (like parsley, green onion or dill)

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Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook this classic soup. It’s a quick and easy way to infuse flavors, and achieve fall-apart tender beef, and a rich broth with layers of flavors in a fraction of the time as any slow cooker recipe!

When YOU make Beef Barley Soup, PLEASE hashtag #munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!

I love a good bowl of warm and comforting soup, but I don’t always have time to watch over a pot of soup on the stove. That’s why I love that once the lid is closed, the pressure cooker does all the work!

This beef barley soup instant pot recipe also makes great leftovers and whatever you don’t use throughout the week you can freeze for months!

Ingredients you will need to make this soup:

Ingredients Needed to Make Beef Barley Soup

Avocado oil: Or use whatever oil you have on hand for browning the meat and sautéing the aromatics.
Stew beef: I use lean beef cut into bite-size pieces. You can buy it already cut or use a sharp knife and cut the beef yourself. The pressure cooker does an amazing job of tendering all kinds of beef, so use whatever is in your budget!
Veggies: Sliced mushrooms, finely peeled and chopped carrots, and parsnip. You want to chop the carrots and parsley to even sizes.
Chopped onion & Minced garlic: Aromatics to help build the layers of flavor in this rich and flavorful soup.
Montreal spice: I keep this seasoning by McCormick's always on hand for so many things! It’s always a great way to season beef recipes.
Bone broth: I have a great beef bone broth recipe I use all the time. However, you can also buy broth if you prefer.
Barley: This is a grain that acts like rice (sort of). It starts as a dry grain and then bulks up as it absorbs water to become nice and soft. Use pearl barley so that it doesn’t cook too quickly or become mushy.
Salt and pepper: To taste.
Chopped greens: Parsley, green onion, or dill.

Step one: brown meat for 10 minutes inside Instant Pot.

How to Make Beef Barley Soup in Instant Pot

Step 1: Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the avocado oil and wait for it to say “HOT”

Step 2: Once it is ready, add the cubes of meat in a single layer, being careful not to overlap or crowd the pot. Brown all sides, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Then, add the onion, mushroom, and Montreal steak spice. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft.

Step 4: Toss in the chopped carrot, parsnip, garlic, barley, and broth. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and make sure the valve is set to the sealing position. Press the soup/broth button and pressure cook for 25 minutes.

Step 6: Carefully quick release the pressure cooker, by using the end of a spoon to move the valve to the venting position. Keep your hands and face away from it, as it will splatter.

Step 7: Once the pressure pin drops, open the lid. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 8: Ladle beef and barley soup into serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Serve with a slice of crusty homemade bread!
Feel free to add pickles to add bell peppers, diced tomatoes, or celery to your soup as well. They are also great options.
For a bit of extra flavor, you can add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the broth.
Have your ingredients prepped and ready to go. It makes cooking much more enjoyable!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use potatoes instead of parsnips?

Yes, you can. Just peel and dice them the same way. Use whatever kind of potato you prefer.

What if I don’t have barley?

That’s ok! You can replace it with arborio rice. I wouldn’t suggest white rice as it isn’t as starchy. Arborio rice, once cooked, will hold its structure better and have a similar texture to the barley.

Can I make this vegetarian?

You sure can. Make this a mushroom barley soup instant pot recipe instead. Load it up with extra veggies and cut the cooking time down.

How to store and reheat leftovers?

Once cooled, keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can use either the stovetop on low heat or use the microwave.

Does barley soup freeze well?

Definitely. Keep any leftovers you want to enjoy later on frozen. Use a freezer-safe container and keep it frozen for up to 6 months.

Thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat to enjoy!