Once during the mid-autumnal months of 2018, I decided to attempt a new soup recipe in my Instant Pot. I was still new at the Instant Pot game, but I was determined to make a delicious beef barley soup that could feed me for many cold days! Beef barley soup is one of the best soup options ever because it has the heartiness of a stew (it’s basically stew and rice mixed together!) but it’s easier to eat on a regular basis. I think the best part of making soups is that it’s quite easy to stretch a few affordable ingredients a long way and it’s the perfect pairing with sandwiches or salads for leftovers. I made a large batch in my Instant Pot while simultaneously talking about the Baylor vs. West Virginia game (so you know this TikTok is one of the older ones). Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- One pound stew meat
- Two cups baby carrots
- One russet potato
- 1/2 sweet onion
- Four cloves of garlic
- One container of cremini mushrooms
- One cup pearl barley
- 3/4 bag frozen baby onions
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes
- Three cups beef stock
- Two tablespoons butter
- Salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme to taste, two bay leaves
Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot on Sauté mode
- Prep the potato and onion by dicing into small cubes (would be a mirepoix if I added celery)
- Cut mushrooms and carrots into quarters
- Mince garlic into tiny bits using garlic press (same first few steps as my old braised short ribs recipe!)
- Cut stew meat cubes into tiny bite pieces that would fit in a spoon
- Melt butter in the pot once it reads “HOT”
- Cook all of the meat until almost completely brown (should take less than a minute) and then remove and place in a bowl
- Cook onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant
- Add carrots and potatoes until softened and scrape all the brown bits from the bottom and sides
- Return meat to the pot and add barley, baby onions, mushrooms, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, and seasonings, and immerse with beef stock
- Press the Pressure Cook button and set timer for 25 minutes
- Make sure top knob is set at “Sealing” not “Venting”
- Once 25 minutes are up, release pressure by turning the knob to “Venting”
- Remove bay leaves from soup
- Serve with crusty bread or cheesy toasts
