This Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup is a delicious and comforting recipe that’s great for colder months – plus, it’s freezer-friendly!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like canola, grapeseed or avocado oil.
- Stewing beef – you can use another cut of beef like steak, just make sure it’s chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Pearl barley – try using quinoa, farro or brown rice instead.
- Can of diced tomatoes – fresh diced tomatoes would also work here.
- Beef broth – vegetable broth or homemade beef stock would also work here.
- Carrots – parsnips, daikon and turnips would all provide a similar flavour.
- Celery – use another vegetable of your choice or leave this out altogether.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots are good substitutes.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
- Italian seasoning – make your own using a blend of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram.
- Mushrooms – use any mushrooms of your choice.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make beef barley soup
- Sauté the beef.
- Add in the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, Italian seasoning and mushrooms.
- Mix in the diced tomatoes, beef broth and pearl barley.
- Cook on high pressure.
- Do a natural release of the pressure.
- Serve with fresh parsley over top.
What to serve with beef barley soup
This Instant Pot beef barley soup is great as a main dish or a side soup. Some of my favourite things to serve it with are:
- Crusty bread or rolls
- Crackers (saltines, water crackers or whole grain crackers)
- Sandwiches or wraps
- Side salad
Frequently Asked Questions
I find that stewing beef is best for this Instapot beef barley soup, but you can use any kind of beef you want. Just make sure to cut the beef into 1/2 inch pieces so that it cooks properly.
No! You can add the pearl barley in uncooked and unsoaked, and it’ll soak in all the juices from the beef broth as it pressure cooks. This entire Instant Pot beef barley soup is made in one pot, which makes it super easy and fast.
One bowl of this heartening soup has 288 calories, so it’s a super filling and low-calorie meal option.
The barley is a pretty essential part of this beef and barley soup Instant Pot recipe, but if you don’t have any on hand or you’re not a fan of barley, you can try making it with quinoa, farro, brown rice or arborio rice. Just keep in mind that the cooking times might vary.
Storing and reheating
You can store this Instant Pot beef barley soup in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight glass containers or mason jars. When you’re ready to eat, you can reheat it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (stirring halfway through) or on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Freezing this recipe
This Instapot beef barley soup is great for freezing! It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months in airtight glass containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags. Thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Serve with some fresh crusty bread and enjoy!
More soup recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- These are the square glass meal prep bowls I use in this recipe.
- If you’re looking to stock your freezer with grass-fed beef, then check out Butcher Box – they’re an awesome way to cut down on shopping time.
Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup {Freezer-Friendly}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb stewing beef, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup dry pearl barley
- 1 (796mL) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 (224g) package mushrooms, quartered
Instructions
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot and set to saute. Add beef and season with salt and pepper, then saute for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Add in carrots, celery, onions, garlic, Italian seasoning and mushrooms, stirring well to combine and sauteeing another 2 min.
- Add diced tomatoes, beef broth and pearl barley in that order. Turn off saute mode and place lid and set to sealing, then pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
- Do a natural pressure release (you can also do a quick release but the beef may not be as tender) and then serve with a little bit of fresh parsley overtop and some crusty bread. Enjoy!