Name: Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon oil; 1 pound beef (cut into 1 inch chunks); 1 small onion (minced); 2 cloves of garlic (minced); 4 carrots (peeled and sliced ); 4 cups beef stock (low sodium); 16 ounces diced tomatoes; 1/2 cup pearl barley (rinsed); 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (optional)

Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup

Making my traditional Beef & Barley Soup in the Instant Pot would mean I could have dinner on the table from start to finish in under an hour–and after working up my appetite cleaning my pantry, I was grateful for a quick dinner.

But truthfully, I am ALWAYS grateful for a quick dinner, aren’t you?!

two white pottery bowls filled with beef and barley soup with spoons off to the side

How to Make Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup

Turn pressure cooker to saute function. Once heated, add in oil, beef chunks and onion.

Saute until beef is browned on all sides and then add in garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

Add in stock and scrape up any browned bits on the the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Add in carrots, diced tomatoes, barley, bay, thyme, salt and pepper.

Place lid on Instant Pot and close valve to sealed. Set to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.

Before serving, remove bay and thyme and stir in 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Notes on Pressure Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

I used sirloin steak to keep this Beef and Barley soup low in fat. You can use stew meat or strip meat as well–just cut any meat into 1 inch chunks.

I omitted celery, which is traditional in most barley soup recipes, because my kids hate it! Feel free to add in 1/4 cup chopped celery to the soup.

It is not necessary to saute the meat and onions first, it just enhances the flavor and texture of the meat. Feel free to skip that step, just omit the oil as well.

I am often asked if Barely is gluten-free. Barley contains gluten and therefore, is NOT gluten-free. Nor is Worcestershire sauce, so this soup is NOT gluten-free.

I have used tomato sauce in place of the diced tomatoes before. Again, this helps with picky kids who hate the texture of cooked tomatoes–I have experience with picky kids.

What if your beef is frozen when you want to make this Barley Soup?

If your meat is pre-cut into 1 inch chunks, increase the cooking time by 10 minutes and skip the step of browning the meat.

If your meat is in one full piece (like 1/2 inch thick Sirloin Roast or Round Steak), place the frozen piece of meat into your pressure cooker with the beef stock, thyme, bay, salt and pepper. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to release 15 minutes then remove meat and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add the meat back into your Instant Pot, along with the diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and barley. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for 20 additional minutes on high pressure. Allow to release pressure for 15 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Don’t have an Instant Pot? I feel bad for you–LOL!!!!

But totally get it–it is NOT for everyone. You can make this Slow Cooker Beef and Barley soup easily!

Brown your beef in on the stove over medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon oil. Once meat is browned, add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients, except for Worcestershire sauce.

Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours.

Stir in Worcestershire at the end.

Instant Pot Soup Recipes

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