Old fashioned vegetable barley soup consists of a robust medley of vegetables, chewy barley, and savory herbs simmered to perfection in a rich tomato based broth. This instant pot vegetable barley soup gets ready under 45 minutes with just pantry staple ingredients. This hearty soup is vegan and nut-free.
Vegetable Barley Soup Instant Pot
Indulge in the wholesome goodness of our hearty vegetable barley soup. Packed with a medley of fresh and frozen vegetables, nutritious pearl barley, and savory herbs, this comforting soup is a flavorful and nourishing choice. Discover a perfect blend of textures and tastes in every spoonful, making it a satisfying and wholesome option for a delicious and nutritious meal.
You will love the wonderful chewy texture of the pearl barley. This soup freezes well and is a great budget friendly option for any family.
Ingredients
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just for reference.
- Pearl Barley: Pearl barley cooks much faster than hulled barley because the husk and the outer skin of the barley grains are removed. Pearl barley also lends soups a chewy texture.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and garlic. You can sub the yellow onion with shallots.
- Veggies: Celery, yellow bell pepper, sweet potato, green beans, carrots, corn, green peas.
- Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes with the juices. We used petite diced tomatoes with chilis.
- Seasonings: Ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, Himalayan pink salt.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Balsamic vinegar: This will lend the soup a subtly sweet and tart flavor. So good!
- Bay Leaves: For depth of flavor.
- Liquid: Water + Better than bouillon veggie base.
- Oil: Olive oil.
- Fresh herbs: Flat leaf parsley. You can also use fresh chopped chives or Italian parsley.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Creating a delicious old-fashioned vegetable barley soup requires attention to detail and a few tips and tricks to enhance flavors and textures. Here are some suggestions:
- Choose quality ingredients: Opt for fresh and high-quality vegetables. Carrots, celery, onions, and tomatoes are classic choices. You can use frozen veggie mix (green beans, corn, carrots). Use good-quality barley, preferably pearl barley, for a hearty texture.
- Sauté for flavor: Sauté the aromatics and the seasonings in olive oil for more flavor.
- Add Umami: Add balsamic vinegar or low sodium soy sauce to enhance the umami flavor.
- Enhance with herbs and spices: Add a bouquet garni or a mix of dried herbs like thyme, rosemary for depth of flavor. We added a mix or dried oregano and basil.
- Adjust consistency: If the soup becomes too thick as it sits before serving, you can add more broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
- Finish with fresh ingredients: Add a handful of fresh herbs like parsley or dill just before serving for a burst of freshness.
- Additional veggies and greens: You can add more veggies like diced zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, leek, white mushrooms or brown mushrooms and greens like baby spinach, regular chopped kale or dragon kale for an extra boost and added texture. Add the greens at the end after turning off the instant pot. The residual heat will help wilt the greens. If you decide to add more veggies and greens do adjust the amount of liquid.
- Additional plant-based proteins: For an added protein boost you can add a regular can (14 ounce) of drained garbanzo beans, white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans. Do adjust the amount of veggie stock in the soup.
Directions
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.
Step #1 Sauté veggies and seasonings
- Sauté aromatics & veggies: Sauté the aromatics and veggies like celery, sweet potato and bell pepper for 2 mins.
- Add seasonings: Add the seasonings and the salt and sauté for 30 seconds.
Step #2 Deglaze pot and pressure cook soup
- Deglaze pot: Add frozen veggies and pearl barley. Do not stir. Add liquid and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles and prevent the burn error. Add the balsamic vinegar and the bay leaf.
- Pressure cook: Add the diced tomatoes along with the juices. Do not stir or mix. Secure the lid of the instant pot. Seal the valve and pressure cook on high pressure for 20 mins followed by 10 mins natural pressure release.
- Garnish & serve: Give a the vegan barley soup a quick stir. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Serving Ideas
Pairing vegetable barley soup with complementary sides can enhance the overall dining experience. Here are some ideas for what to serve with vegetable barley soup:
- Crusty sour dough bread or rolls.
- Vegan whole wheat garlic bread.
- Hummus and veggie platter: Serve hummus with a variety of fresh vegetable sticks like carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers for a healthy and crunchy side.
- Fruit Salad: A light and refreshing fruit salad can be a sweet counterpoint to the savory soup.
- Side Salad: Offer a light side salad with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette for a refreshing contrast.
- Stuffed mini peppers: We love to serve this comforting barley soup with tofu stuffed mini peppers.
- Roasted veggies: Air fryer brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, Air fryer smashed brussel sprouts, air fryer roasted beets , air fryer carrots and potatoes, butternut squash fries air fryer.
- Steamed veggies: Like Steamed broccoli. Steamed green beans. Steamed carrots. Steamed beets..
How to Store
Fridge: You can store the instant pot vegetable barley soup in air tight containers for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Freeze the hearty soup in individual freezer safe containers or heavy duty bags for up to 2 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and than the reheating directions shared below.
Reheating Directions
When reheating, add a little extra broth to maintain the soup's consistency.
- Microwave oven: Reheat the soup in a microwave safe bowl until warm or hot.
- Stove top: Reheat the pearl barley soup on the stove top in a heavy bottomed pot or saucepan over medium high heat.
FAQs
You do not need to cook pearl barley before adding to soup. Add it directly to the soup without pre-cooking. The barley will then cook and absorb liquid as the soup simmers.
Yes, it's a good practice to rinse pearl barley under cold water before adding it to the soup. Rinsing helps remove any excess starch on the surface.
No, you do not need to soak pearl barley. However, soaking pearl barley for 5-6 hours' will slightly reduce the cook time.
Barley has a natural thickening property due to the presence of soluble fiber, particularly beta-glucans, in its structure. When barley is cooked in liquid, these fibers are released, and they absorb water, creating a gel-like substance. This process contributes to the thickening of the soup. The beta-glucans in barley have the ability to bind with water molecules, forming a viscous solution that gives the soup a hearty and thicker consistency.
Barley refers to the whole, unprocessed grain that includes the bran, germ, and endosperm. It has a chewy texture and takes longer to cook compared to pearl barley. Pearl barley is a more refined version of barley. It undergoes a pearling process that removes the outer husk and some or all of the bran layer, polishing the grain to a pearly white appearance. This process shortens the cooking time but also removes some of the nutritional content.
Barley contains lots of starch, and if it is overcooked, the starch can be released into the soup, causing it to become slimy. Make sure to follow the recommended cooking times for barley and avoid overcooking. If the barley is old or of low quality, it may release excess starch during cooking, leading to a slimy texture. Use fresh and high-quality barley for better results every single time.
The best substitutes for barley in soup are quinoa, farro, bulgar, pearl couscous, buckwheat, brown rice and millet.
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I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! If you try this Old Fashioned Vegetable Barley Soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I would love to hear how it turned out for you, or any changes you make.
Old Fashioned Vegetable Barley Soup
Equipment
- 1 6 quart instant pot
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 cup celery - **roughly chopped.
- 1 cup onion - **roughly chopped.
- 1 cup sweet potatoes - **peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes.
- 1 Bell pepper - **orange bell pepper diced into ½ inch squares. Read NOTES below.
- 14 ounce Frozen Vegetables - **mix of green beans, carrots, corn. 397 g.
- 28 ounce Diced Tomatoes - **petite diced tomatoes. You can use any variety. We used diced tomatoes with green chilis.
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar. - **optional.
- ½ tablespoon garlic - **minced.
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon olive oil - **extra light or light olive oil.
- salt to taste - **add according to your taste preference.
- ½ cup parsley - **fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped.
SEASONINGS
- ½ teaspoon oregano.
- ½ teaspoon basil.
- ½ teaspoon paprika - **smoked paprika.
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - **skip if heat intolerant.
LIQUID
- 5 cups water. - **warm water.
- ½ tablespoon better than bouilon - **vegetable base stirred in 5 cups waters to make an instant veggie stock.
Instructions
Saute Aromatics & vegetables
- Set the instant pot on saute mode on high heat. Add oil, when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the roughly chopped onion and the celery and saute for 30 seconds. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add the diced sweet potatoes and the bell pepper and saute for 30 seconds. Add all the seasonings mentioned above in the "SEASONINGS" section of the ingredients list along with the salt (add according to your taste preference). Saute for 30 seconds. CANCEL the saute function.
Deglaze pot
- Add the frozen veggies and pearl barley. Pour the veggie stock and deglaze the pot very well scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula to loosen any stuck food particles. This process will prevent the burn error.
- Add the petite diced tomatoes from the can along with the juices. Do not stir or mix. Add the balsamic vinegar. Throw in the bay leaf.
Pressure cook
- Secure the lid of the instant pot and seal the valve. PRESSURE COOK on HIGH PRESSURE for 20 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep. Wait for natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position. Open the lid carefully. Discard the bay leaf and give the vegetable barley soup a good stir.
Garnish and serve soup
- Turn off the instant pot. Add the roughly chopped fresh parsley and mix well. Serve the old-fashioned vegetable barley soup hot for the best flavor and texture. Scroll up for recipe step photos, lots of tips tricks, storage and reheating directions.,
Notes
- Pearl Barley: Pearl barley is easy to cook as the outer husk and some of the bran are removed. You can find pearl barley in the rice and beans section of your grocery store. This variety is chewy and gives the soup a fantastic texture.
- Bell Pepper: We used orange bell pepper in the barley vegetable soup recipe. You can substitute it with yellow bell pepper or red bell pepper for a subtle sweet flavor.
- Additional veggie option: You can add more veggies to the soup like diced zucchini, squash, and white mushrooms. You can also add a handful of greens like baby spinach chopped kale or dragon kale. Add them at the end after turning off the instant pot. The residual heat will help wilt the leaves.
- Spicy soup: If you like spicy soup do up the amount of red pepper flakes or add about one de-seeded chopped jalapeno while sauteing the aromatics.
- Soup consistency: You can control the consistency of this hearty barley vegetable soup. Add more stock for a thin soup consistency.
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