Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup is the ultimate healthy comfort food in a bowl!

This hearty and comforting soup is usually made with beef, barley, vegetables (i.e. onions, carrots, celery), and aromatic herbs in a rich broth. Packed with a variety of nutrients, flavors, and textures.

We crafted this beef barley soup Instant Pot recipe to be an easy-to-make, flavorful, filling, and healthy meal.

Especially heartwarming and satisfying to eat this pressure cooker beef barley soup during the cold fall and winter days!

What we look for in a good Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup

We did many experiments to craft this Easy Beef Barley Soup Instant Pot recipe based on the following criteria:

• Beef: Tender, juicy, deep beefy flavors – remain flavorful even after imparting beefy flavors into the soup
• Barley: Fully cooked, plump, fluffy, tender with a satisfying al dente chew, mildly nutty flavor; not too soft, mushy, soggy (overcooked) or hard & overly chewy (undercooked)
• Vegetables: A portion of the vegetables impart their flavors to the broth, while the other portion of vegetables retains their flavors & textures when serving. This way you’ll get the best of both worlds.
• Soup: Aromatic, rich, deep complex layers of flavors – the body is not flat or one-dimensional; a balanced blend of beefy, savory-umami, a hint of sweetness; not too thin or thick

How to Cook Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup

Here are the ingredients for cooking beef barley soup in Instant Pot:

Beef Chuck Roast. Chuck roast is one of the best cuts for making Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup. Some chuck roasts are fattier than others, and some may be slightly more tender. Try to use a well-marbled chuck roast. Not only will it enrich the flavors, but the fat will also melt and lubricate the meat while cooking.

• Other Common Names: Top Blade Pot Roast, Shoulder Roast, Beef Blade Roast, Braising Steak (in the UK)

Pearl Barley (Pearled Barley). Barley is usually sold in 2 forms: hulled (light golden brown) and pearled barley (cream-colored). Pearl barley grains are created by polishing and removing the tougher inedible outer coating (hull) and the bran layer. The 2 forms need different cooking times, so make sure you’re using Pearl Barley for this beef barley soup Instant Pot recipe.

Unsalted Chicken Stock vs. Unsalted Beef Stock: We’re using chicken stock instead of beef stock because store-bought chicken stock usually tastes a lot better than most store-bought beef stock. But if you have homemade beef stock or good quality beef stock, you can use beef stock if you like.

• Substitute with Salted Stock: Keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.

Fish Sauce & Regular Soy Sauce. Our flavor-boosting, umami-filled secret weapons to elevate this easy Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup. They’re not traditional ingredients in a classic beef barley soup recipe. But they add a magical boost of savory-umami flavor complexity. Give them a shot!

Tools for Beef Barley Soup Instant Pot Recipe

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (6qt)
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Kitchen Tongs

Brown Chuck Roast Steak

Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT” (roughly 8 minutes).

Pat dry chuck roast steak with a paper towel.

Then, generously season one side of the chuck roast with kosher salt and ground black pepper. 

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15ml – 30ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Make sure to coat the oil well over the whole bottom of the pot.

Place the seasoned side of the chuck roast in Instant Pot, then season the other side of the chuck roast with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Let chuck roast brown for 8 minutes per side to develop some deep flavors. Don’t need to constantly flip the chuck roast.

When the chuck roast is nicely browned, remove it and set aside.

Saute Onion & Vegetables

Add sliced onions in Instant Pot, then saute for 4 minutes.

Add chopped carrots and celery in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes.

Set aside one-third of the vegetables.

Amy + Jacky’s Notes: We’ll add this portion of vegetables back into the beef barley soup after pressure cooking. This will add more textures when you enjoy the beef and barley soup.

Saute Garlic & Herbs

Add in minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme, and 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste, then saute for another 2 minutes.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Pour 1 cup (250ml) unsalted stock in Instant Pot. Then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. 

Pressure Cook Beef Barley Soup in Instant Pot

Turn off the Instant Pot.

Add ¼ teaspoon (2g) fine salt, 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce in the Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.

Cut the browned chuck steak into 1¼ inch thick beef cubes.

Add beef cubes, all the meat juice, and the remaining 4 cups (1L) unsalted stock in Instant Pot. 

Add ¾ cup (150g) pearl barley in Instant Pot, then make sure they’re all submerged in the cooking liquid.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Cook Time: Pressure Cook beef barley soup at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes of natural release, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Add Vegetables Back in Beef Barley Soup

Add previously set-aside vegetables (from step 2) back in the Instant Pot.

Press the Instant Pot “Saute” button, then simmer the beef barley soup for a few minutes to finish cooking the “set-aside” vegetables. Stir occasionally.

Season & Serve Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup

Discard the two bay leaves if you like.

Taste and season the comforting Instant Pot Beef Barley soup with more salt. For reference, we added 3 large pinches of salt at the end to season the soup.

Garnish pressure cooker beef barley soup with freshly chopped Italian parsley, then serve.

What to Serve with Beef Barley Soup

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup makes a comforting and healthy one pot meal. You can serve it with side dishes like Instant Pot Bread, baguette, sourdough, garlic bread, biscuits, cornbread, or Saltine crackers.

You can also enjoy it with some salads or vegetables like Instant Pot Potato Salad, Instant Pot Broccoli, Instant Pot Cabbage, Instant Pot Green Beans, or Instant Pot Beets.

Enjoy Comforting Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup!

Other Instant Pot Soups

• Instant Pot Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
• Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
• Instant Pot Tomato Soup
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana