Easy, best and simple, this Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup is a perfect soup for busy weeknight dinners. It is Vegan, rich, wholesome, nutritious and flavorful.
All you need is a few ingredients and less than 45 minutes, and your comforting dinner is ready!
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I am sure many of you got a new Instant Pot as a Christmas gift. Have you tried making recipes?
If not, you should start making these Easy and simple Instant Pot Recipes.
Believe me, Instant Pot is the safest and easiest kitchen gadget. You can make so many dishes in no time without babysitting!
You can saute, steam, boil, and pressure cook a variety of foods in it.
It is perfect for making curries, a variety of rice, Soups and cheesecake recipes.
Plus during the Wintertime, Instant Pot helps in proofing the Bread dough too. How cool is that!
One more thing I love about Instant Pot is that you can Cook legumes like Chickpeas, refried beans, etc, in very little time.
Plus they are so much better and cheaper than the store-bought canned ones.
Instant Pot is really a game-changer!
And now they have also launched new Instant Pot Lid with Roast Bake, Broil, Reheat & Dehydrate Air Fryer. Wow!!
I am totally buying this lid and will share the feedback and new recipes soon. 🙂
Let’s get back to today’s recipe – Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup.
Why I love this soup so much?
Because Its,
- Comforting
- Vegan
- One-pot meal
- Filling
- Wholesome
- Hearty
- Perfect For busy weeknight
- Freezes well
- Customizable
- Perfect Detox meal (Also Check out my Detox Vegetable Soup recipe).
- Can be made ahead of time
- Crowd pleaser.
Is Barley Soup Good for you?
One of the main components in this recipe is Pearl Barley.
Barley is a grain that is very similar in size and texture of wheat or brown rice.
There are several different types of barley but the most common is pearl barley which is used in this recipe.
Barley is a very healthy grain. Plus it’s rich in Vitamins, minerals, and other good plant compounds.
It is rich in fiber and it contains soluble fiber, which reduces hunger and enhances feelings of fullness. For this reason, it may promote weight loss.
There are many other health benefits. If you are interested to know, this article may be very helpful.
On top of Barley, this soup is loaded with nutritious veggies, has Natural Anti Inflammatory property-rich Turmeric powder, some aromatic herbs, and spices.
All in all, yes, This Barley Soup is good for you. It is a rich and hearty soup that leaves you completely satisfied and warms every inch of your body!
Ingredients required to make this soup –
Main Ingredient
- Barley
Vegetables
- Kale (You can use Spinach too)
- Carrots
- Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Green Onion (You can use any type of chopped onion)
Spices
- Black Pepper Powder
- Turmeric powder
- Oregano
- Salt
Other Ingredients
- Tomato
- Garlic
- Ginger
- parsley
- Rosemary
- Jalapeno (Optional)
- Oil
- Water
- Lemon juice
How to make Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup?
The steps and process are very simple and easy.
Wash barley well and drain all the water. Keep it aside.
Next, turn on the Insta Pot on saute mode. Heat oil, add ginger, garlic, green onions, and celery. Saute for a minute. (Photo 1)
Now add all the vegetables, tomato, washed barley, water, all spices, parsley, Rosemary and Jalapeno. Stir well. (Photo 2 to 6)
Cover the IP with its locking lid and set the vent valve on the sealing position. (Photo 7)
Turn off the IP from saute mode.
Press the manual/pressure button and set the timer for 21 minutes, under high pressure. (Photo 8)
Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
Open the lid, stir the soup and Voila! (Photo 9)
Your hearty, comforting and delicious one-pot meal – Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup, is ready.
Squeeze some lemon juice and garnish the soup with some parsley. Enjoy!
Notes and Pro-tips
- Be sure to use Pearl Barley, not quick-cooking barley.
- Use your choice of veggies but make sure to cut them in equal size.
- You can also use frozen vegetables. It works perfectly and tastes good too.
- This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes. But you can use canned diced tomatoes too.
- Use Vegetable broth instead of water to get more flavors.
- I have used fresh Rosemary, you may use ½ teaspoon dried rosemary too. Or you can substitute it with Thyme or Basil.
- Few drops of lemon juice are really made a huge difference in taste. I recommend you not to skip that step.
- As with most soups, they taste better the next day after all the flavors have gotten to know each other. So, make a big pot of this Vegetable Barley Soup and reheat as needed.
Quick FAQS
What to serve with Vegetable Barley Soup?
We serve this alongside our favorite Dinner rolls and Fresh salad for a perfect meal.
Do you have to cook pearl barley before adding to the soup?
No.
Especially when you are making in the Instant Pot. Cooking barley with all the ingredients in instant pot releases starch into its cooking liquid, making it a good thickener for soups.
If you want to add pearl barley to a soup or stew but don’t want the barley to thicken it then cook it separately first. Boil in water for 20-30 minutes and rinse before using.
In that case, the soup cooking time will vary.
CAN I MAKE THIS ON THE STOVETOP?
You definitely can make this on the stovetop! I suggest a dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot over medium-high heat saute all the veggies first.
Once you add all the liquid and the barley, bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the barley is cooked to your liking.
I’ve tried both the versions (stovetop and in the Instant Pot), and I prefer the Instant Pot version.
I feel like the flavors marry together more quickly when pressure cooked and it saves you some time and its completely hands-free job.
Can you freeze vegetable barley soup?
Yes, This soup freezes very well. Make a large batch, let the soup cool down, place them in freezer-safe containers or Freezer-safe bags and store it in the freezer.
This soup stays fresh up to 3 months in the freezer and up to 5 days in the fridge.
Toppings
- Sour cream (If not vegan)
- Some herbs like parsley, cilantro or Basil
- Jalapenos
- Cheese
Can we make this soup oil-free?
Yes, you can skip the oil. Just Saute ingredients in 1 tablespoon water instead of oil. It will taste equally great.
So! What are you waiting for? Do try this soup.
You will love it as much as we do. Guaranteed!
Do You enjoy Hearty Soup and stew in winter? Here are some easy and delicious ideas:
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
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Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup
Ingredients
Main Ingredient
- 1 cup – Barley
Vegetables
- 1 cup – Kale You can use Spinach too
- ½ cup – Carrots
- 1 cup – Bell Pepper
- ¼ cup – Celery
- ¼ cup – Green Onion You can use any type of chopped onion
Spices
- ½ teaspoon – Black Pepper Powder
- ¼ teaspoon – Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon – Oregano
- Salt to taste
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup – Tomato
- 1 teaspoon – Garlic
- 1 teaspoon – Ginger
- 2 tablespoon – fresh parsley
- 1 string – fresh Rosemary
- 1 tablespoon – Jalapeno Optional
- 1 tablespoon – Oil
- 5 cups – Water
- few drops Lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash barley well and drain all the water. Keep it aside.
- Next, turn on the Insta Pot on saute mode. Heat oil, add ginger, garlic, green onions, and celery. Saute for a minute.
- Now add all the vegetables, tomato, washed barley, water, all spices, parsley, Rosemary and Jalapeno. Stir well.
- Cover the IP with its locking lid and set the vent valve on the sealing position.
- Turn off the IP from saute mode.
- Press the manual/pressure button and set the timer for 21 minutes, under high pressure.
- Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, stir the soup and Voila!
- Your hearty, comforting and delicious one-pot meal – Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup, is ready.
- Squeeze some lemon juice and garnish the soup with some parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use Pearl Barley, not quick-cooking barley.
- Use your choice of veggies but make sure to cut them in equal size.
- You can also use frozen vegetables. It works perfectly and tastes good too.
- This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes. But you can use canned diced tomatoes too.
- Use Vegetable broth instead of water to get more flavors.
- I have used fresh Rosemary, you may use ½ teaspoon dried rosemary too. Or you can substitute it with Thyme or Basil.
- Few drops of lemon juice really make a huge difference in taste. I recommend you not to skip that.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding water according to your preferences.
- As with most soups, they taste better the next day after all the flavors have gotten to know each other. So, make a big pot of this Vegetable Barley Soup and reheat as needed.
- For Quick FAQS, please scroll up.
CAN I MAKE THIS ON THE STOVETOP?
You definitely can make this on the stovetop! I suggest a dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot over medium-high heat saute all the veggies first. Once you add all the liquid and the barley, bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the barley is cooked to your liking. I’ve tried both the versions (stovetop and in the Instant Pot), and I prefer the Instant Pot version. I feel like the flavors marry together more quickly when pressure cooked and it saves you some time and its completely hands-free job.Can you freeze vegetable barley soup?
Yes, This soup freezes very well. Make a large batch, let the soup cool down, place them in freezer-safe containers or Freezer-safe bags and store it in the freezer. This soup stays fresh up to 3 months in the freezer and up to 5 days in the fridge.Nutrition
Warm Regards,
Dhwani
Please fix your recipe it calls for 1/ of Green onion… assume it’s not 1 cup since the slash was added….
So Is that a quarter or a half or ?
I’m going to put in a quarter cup and see how it goes. A quarter cup seems like too little for regular onion, but a half cup seems like too much for green onion… But not sure what the recipes intention is. Thanks!
Sorry for the confusion. Edited the post. Its 1/4 cup of green onions.
Oh great thanks!
Delicious! I had to make a few little changes due to what I had on hand. I used carrots and celery and a can of drained spinach. I also added a can of jackfruit. It is delicious! Thank you! 😊
So good to know Leesa. Thank you 🙂
I would try adding the kale or spinach at the end for 1 min max. Boiling them for 20 min destroys all the nutrients.
I followed the recipe and notes and my whole family loved this soup!! Even my teenage son who doesn’t like vegetables! So good!
So glad to know. Thanks for the feedback.