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Beef barley soup with title reading Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Recipe
Good Fork Daily Editorial Kitchen

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup Recipe

Tender beef chuck, chewy pearl barley and substantial vegetables in a savory pressure-cooked tomato-beef broth.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Pressure build and release 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup pearl barley rinsed and drained; not quick-cooking
  • 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 medium carrots cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 6-quart electric pressure cooker
  • Dedicated raw-meat cutting board
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Flat wooden spoon
  • Clean plate
  • Thin-probe instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Pat 1-inch beef cubes dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
  2. Using Sauté, brown beef in two batches with oil. Transfer browned pieces to a clean plate.
  3. Cook onion, celery and mushrooms 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme and rosemary for 1 minute.
  4. Add 1 cup broth and Worcestershire. Scrape until no browned or stuck material remains, then cancel Sauté.
  5. Return beef. Add rinsed pearl barley, remaining broth, bay leaves, carrots and remaining salt; stir and verify model fill limits.
  6. Lock lid and pressure-cook on high for 20 minutes using the sealing setup required by the exact model.
  7. Allow 15 minutes natural release, then release remaining pressure only according to the model manual. Open only after depressurization is confirmed.
  8. Discard bay leaves. Check beef and barley tenderness; stir in peas for 3 to 5 minutes, then vinegar and parsley. Adjust seasoning.

Notes

  • Use regular pearl barley, not quick-cooking or hulled barley.
  • Deglaze the inner pot completely before pressure cooking.
  • Respect the exact model's fill limit and pressure-release instructions.
  • Allow a 15-minute natural release before releasing any remaining pressure.
  • This recipe was developed through culinary research and editorial review.