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instant pot beef barley soup | beef and barley soup instant pot | pressure cooker beef barley soup
5 from 39 votes

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup

Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
How to cook Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup. Tender juicy beef, fluffy al dente barley, balanced with sweetness from sautéed vegetables, in an umami-savory-beefy soup. This easy Beef and Barley Soup makes a deliciously comforting and healthy meal packed with rich layers of flavors.
Servings 6
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Optional Garnish

Equipment

Instructions

  • 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. Generously season one side of the chuck roast with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
    Add 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil in Instant Pot. Make sure to coat the oil well over the whole bottom of the pot.
    Place the seasoned side of chuck roast in Instant Pot, then season the other side of 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 in sliced onions, then saute for 4 minutes. Add in chopped carrots and celery, then saute for 3 minutes.
    Set aside one-third of the vegetables. We'll add them back in after pressure cooking (in Step 6). This will add more textures to the soup.
  • Saute Garlic & Herbs: Add in minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, and 2 tbsp (30g) tomato paste, then saute for another 2 minutes.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted stock. Completely deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Pressure Cook Beef Barley Soup: Turn off Instant Pot.
    Add in ¼ tsp (2g) fine salt, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce. Give it a quick mix.
    Cut the browned chuck steak into 1¼ inch thick beef cubes.
    Add beef cubes, all its meat juice, and the remaining 4 cups (1L) unsalted stock in Instant Pot. Add in ¾ cup (150g) pearl barley, and 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. Pressure Cook beef barley soup at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes. Release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. Open the lid carefully.
  • Add Vegetables Back in Soup: Add previously set-aside vegetables (from step 2) back in Instant Pot.
    Press "Saute" button. Simmer the beef barley soup for a few minutes to finish cooking the "set-aside" vegetables. Stir occasionally.
  • Season & Serve: Discard the two bay leaves if you like.
    Taste and season the Beef Barley soup with more salt. For reference, we added 3 large pinches of salt at the end to season the soup. Garnish soup with freshly chopped Italian parsley, then serve.

Notes

1. Beef Chuck Roast: Some chuck roasts are fattier than others, and some may be slightly more tender. For best results, try to use a well-marbled chuck roast. 
  • Other Common Names: Top Blade Pot Roast, Shoulder Roast, Beef Blade Roast, Braising Steak (in the UK)
  • Beef Cuts: Other cuts of beef may be too lean or need a different cooking time. If you’re using grass-fed beef, keep in mind it has less fat than grain-fed beef.
2. Why brown the chuck roast as a whole instead of cubes? Browning as a whole helps keep more moisture, saves time since you can brown faster and better, and adds deep flavors without toughening the meat.
3. Pearl Barley (Pearled Barley): The 2 forms of barley need different cooking times, so make sure you’re using Pearl Barley with this recipe.
4. 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.
  • Substitute with Salted Stock: Keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.
5. Fish Sauce & Regular Soy Sauce: They’re not traditional ingredients, but they add a magical boost of savory-umami flavor complexity. Give them a try!
6. Deglaze Instant Pot: It's very important to fully deglaze the bottom of the inner pot after browning or sauteing ingredients in the Instant Pot. This will prevent the "BURN" notice. Don't worry! These are not burnt food debris. These caramelized brown bits will add flavor to your soup.
7. Freeze: Yes! Beef and Barley Soup freezes well.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 404kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 626mg | Potassium: 1107mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7986IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 5mg