Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup is total comfort food! A wonderful one-pot meal. This pressure cooker beef barley vegetable soup recipe has chunks of tender beef, carrots, cabbage, potatoes and more. An old fashioned, hearty beef barley soup.
Originally published on 9/28/2017
Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
This is a fun recipe for me, and I'm proud to be sharing it with you! This recipe was originally my Nana's, and was for a stove top pressure cooker. I adapted it for an electric pressure cooker.
What is the Best Meat to Use for Beef Barley Soup?
I prefer a cubed Chuck Roast for this beef barley soup in the Instant Pot. The meat becomes very tender and has a lot of flavor.
You can also use the pre-cut stew meat that you find in the grocery store, or cut up a roast that you have on hand.
Several of my readers have told me that they made this recipe with Venison or Elk meat with fabulous results!
Vegetable Substitutions
The vegetables in this pressure cooker beef barley vegetable soup recipe are basic: potato, carrot, cabbage, celery, tomatoes. Much like you would find in a beef stew recipe.
You could also add or substitute mushrooms, turnips, rutabagas, green beans, or any other hearty vegetable.
Keep in mind that this soup has a long cook time (because of the meat), so the veggies will be soft. Cutting the vegetables in larger pieces will help with them not being quits as soft.
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.
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If you make this comforting, delicious pressure cooker beef barley soup, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I would love to know how you liked Nana's recipe!
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 ½"-2" bite size chunks)
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 2 med Carrots, chopped
- 1 cup Chopped Celery,
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 lb Potatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 8 oz Cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 Bay Leaves,
- 4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or ¾ tsp dried thyme leaves, not ground)
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- ⅓ cup Pearl Barley, rinsed (not instant or quick barley)
- 3 cups Beef Broth, (or Chicken Broth) low sodium
- 1 - 14.5 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (with juice) or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes, chopped
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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 potatoes, cabbage, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, barley, and broth. Stir.
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Cancel the Sauté setting and then add the tomatoes with juice and do not stir.
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Place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button and use the +/- button to select 20 minutes. High Pressure (This is a pretty full pot so it will take several minutes to come to pressure).
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When cooking cycle ends, leave the pot undisturbed for 10 minutes to naturally release some of the pressure. Then do a controlled Quick Release (short bursts) of the remaining pressure. When the pin in the lid drops, open the lid and very carefully stir the soup. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
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Serve immediately.
If you are Gluten-Free, leave out the barley.
This soup has a long cook time (because of the meat), so the veggies will be soft. Cutting the vegetables in larger pieces will help with them not being quite as soft.
Charles Franks
I'm new at instant pot cooking. This was second try in my 3qtr. This soup is awesome. I didn't have cabbage sub with beet greens. Fantastic flavor. Thanks. Easy instruction to follow. For even an 80 year old to follow. I'll
be back for more instant pot recipes.
Paula
I made this and used beef broth, red potatoes, added peas, and omitted the cabbage. It was delicious! Thank you!
Irene
Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe. I am wondering if the barley is cooked with the soup recipe,will it take a lot of the broth from the broth and make it too dry?
Sandy
It will be nice and soupy. Some people have added a little extra barely. I would make it per my recipe and see how you like it first.
Werra Watson
Wanted to let you know that the recipe is pretty forgiving. I NEVER ask Hubby to help but he wandered through the kitchen while I was making this. I thought just two fresh tomatoes was not enough and asked him to please grab me a can of diced tomatoes. He popped open the can and I dumped them in. I could tell immediately he had grabbed the wrong can and indeed I had a can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes juice and all in the soup. Rather the freak out I embraced the mistake. You know what it gave the soup just a tiny kick and I think we will do it again. At any rate this soup is a huge Home Run. Again we made it with Plant Based Steak Strips and Vegetable broth so that its vegetarian for me. Meat eating husband still loves it.
Sandy
Nothing like a happy accident!
Irene mac Neil
Just got my 8 quart Instant Pot and am going to try this recipe. Can I cook the barley in a separate pot? I find when I cooked it in other soup recipes the barley thickened the soup broth too much.
Sandy
Sure, just add it in after pressure cooking.
Werra Watson
OMG I Decided to take your recipe and make it VEGETARIAN and Nana WOULD BE PROUD!! So for the Vegetarians out there. Instead of Chuck Roast I used one Package of Morningstar Farms "Steak Strips" and then used Vegetable Broth instead of the Chicken or Beef Broth. Partly defrosted the "Steak Strips" so I could then cut them into cubes. This soup is AMAZING. I could not have picked a better recipe. THANK YOU Simply Happy Foodie for sharing this.
I am trying to rate it 5 Starts but it won't let me rate it at all.
Sandy
Thank you, Werra! I'm so happy to know how well this recipe worked for you!
Gen
Another Instant Pot favourite for the books! Thank you for sharing, it turned out wonderfully! Even my small children love it!
Sandy
Thank you, Gen! I'm so glad!