This recipe is dedicated to my Dear Nana, and to all of the Nanas out there. This is a fun recipe for me, and I’m proud to be sharing it with you! My Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup (I know, long title!) is absolutely a comfort food, one-pot meal.
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
My Nana was my favorite cook. She was just amazing, and she could do anything! I miss watching and helping her in the kitchen.
When I found several of her recipes I was so happy! I could try to recreate the food that she cooked for the family! Nana had an old stove top pressure cooker that she used often. It always scared me a little, to be honest. All that hissing and steaming! But my how the times have changed! We now have electric pressure cookers, and they are so much safer than the old ones. I know that those of you who are experienced pressure cookers probably rock your stove top versions, but I’m still a little scared of them. I do, however, like to rock my Instant Pot! Well, I may not be to the rockin’ status yet, but I’m working on it!
This Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup is my Nana’s recipe. She made it when I was a kid, and I always loved it. I recently ran across the recipe and thought since it is Fall, and definitely soup season, I’d give it a go in my IP. I have enhanced the recipe a little as I just couldn’t leave well enough alone! Always the rebel! I think Nana would be okay with that.
This is a very hearty soup, it feels warm and good in your belly! It is really a one-pot meal. All you need is some bread or biscuits, and you’re good to go! If you are gluten-free, leave out the barley.
I’m a Nana myself now (a young one, haha), and when I get a chance to cook with my grandkids, it fills my heart with nostalgia and lots of love. I hope you have the chance to cook with your loved ones and make those memories that last a lifetime.
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I have been getting amazing feedback from so many people who have made this recipe and loved it! Several people have made this with venison or elk and said it’s excellent!
An old recipe of my Nana's that I have adapted for the electric pressure cooker (or stove top). Full of hearty vegetables, beef, and barley. A one-pot meal!
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 lb Chuck Roast or stew meat (cut in 1 1/2"-2" bite size chunks)
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped
- 2 Carrots chopped
- 1 cup Celery chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (with juice) or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 lb Potatoes chopped (about 2 cups)
- 8 oz Cabbage chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/3 cup Pearl Barley rinsed
- 3 cups Beef or Chicken Broth low sodium
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Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté (or browning) mode. When the pot is hot, add the oil.
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Add the beef chunks and spread out in one layer on bottom of pot. Let cook for a couple of minutes to develop a crust.
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Turn the beef over and brown on other side.
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Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
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Add the garlic, stir and cook for just a minute.
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Add the tomatoes with juice, potatoes, cabbage, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, barley, and broth. Stir.
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Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Cancel the Sauté mode. Press the Soup/Stew button (or Manual, Pressure Cook) and use the + or - button to select 20 minutes. (This is a pretty full pot so it will take several minutes to come to pressure)
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When cooking cycle ends, let the pot naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Then open the lid when the pin in the lid drops. Stir the soup. Discard bay leaves.
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Serve immediately.
If you are Gluten-Free, leave out the barley.
Resources to Make This Recipe and More
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My Favorite 6 quart Instant Pot:
Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker
This is the 8 Quart Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker.
This is the Duo Plus 6 Quart Instant Pot pressure cooker
I am happy with these measuring spoons! They FIT IN MY SPICE JARS! And, they are high quality stainless. Did I mention they have a lifetime warranty?!
Spring Chef Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Metal Measuring Spoons for Dry or Liquid, Fits in Spice Jar, Set of 6
Would love to know the calorie count and how many it serves. Looks delish!
Claudette, it’s 10 1-cup servings at 280 calories each (using chicken broth, fat free). Recipe is updated.
I’m not a big fan of tomatoes in soup so how much additional broth do you think I should add to make up for the juice from the can of tomatoes?
I would say 2/3 cup. This would also be good with some fresh or frozen corn added, maybe 1/2 to 1 cup. You can also increase the cabbage by 1/2 to 1 cup. Along with the 2/3 cup of extra broth.
Great recipe! I followed the recipe exactly using chicken broth. My family loved it.
Hi Kristy! I’m so happy that you and your family liked it! Nana would have been happy, too! I appreciate your feedback!
Made the soup this afternoon and it is delicious!!
This soup was absolutely delicious. A+ texture, flavor. My family loved it. I used a pound of bone in short ribs for the meat. This is a keeper. Thanks!
Hi Margaret! That’s awesome to hear! I’m glad your family liked it. I love short ribs, too! Yum!
This is the first dish I made in my Instapot. It came out delicious and the meat was so tender. I used one sweet potato rather than white potatoes. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Maria! Thank you for your nice review! Sweet potatoes are so good in soup!
can i use red cabbage??
Hi Maria, I think you can. I haven’t tried it, but how bad can it be? Red cabbage is delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
I made this today to have while watching the Academy Awards. I loved the soup. It got a little too done though.should I reduce the time since I used a larger IP? Also I used Better than Boullioun Beef flavored. (3tsp) I think I needed a little more. Thanks for converting your Nana’s recipe for the IP! I will make it again!
Hi Jan, I totally forgot to watch the Academy Awards! :O I would reduce the time a little the next time you make this, or cut the meat and veggies larger. If it was the barley that was too done, then yes, just reduce the cook time by 5 minutes or so. Thank you for the feedback!
Is there anything I could substitute for the pearled barley?
Hi Michael. You can leave it out, and serve with mashed potatoes. I was going to say rice, but it would be mush. Maybe serve over rice?
Found the pearled barley. The soup is amazing. Making it for the fourth time, thank you!
That’s awesome, Michael! How I wish I could tell my Nana, she would be so happy! Thank you for your review, I’m so glad you like this soup!
My first instant pot recipe – thanks for the detailed instructions. This turned out great!!
Made this with oxtails…adds richness! Roast the oxtails in a 450 degree oven, first (gets rid of a lot of fat) for about 10 minutes. I take the tender meat off the bones when done, since my husband cringes at the thought of “oxtails”. However, the meat is a winner!
Yum! Oxtails are $8 per pound here, so we don’t have them very often. This does sound really good though! I need to invest in some oxtails!
This is my first meal in an Instant Pot (I’ve done beans, rice, etc. as a test). This recipe is spot on! Reminds me of the soup my grandmothers would make when I was a kid.
Hi Patrick! I am so happy that my Nana’s recipe brought you some good memories of your own Grandma! Thank you very much for your review, it means a lot to me!