Vegetable Barley Soup Instant Pot

Homestyle Vegetable Barley Soup is rich and hearty. This simple soup with subtle flavors is super satisfying. Here are easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for making this healthy barley soup recipe from scratch at home.

Whole grain barley, chock-full of colorful veggies, hearty garbanzo beans all simmered into flavorful broth. This warm hug in a bowl  soup similar to Creamy Potato Soup, Wild Rice Mushroom Soup or Black Bean Soup is we all need on cold wintery nights.

I am including Instant Pot, stove top and Crock-Pot instructions to make this vegetarian soup. It also is very easy to customize with what you like and have easily available.

One Pot Meal

Vegetarian barley soup is one pot wonder meal. It combines all ” good for you ” healthy and clean eating ingredients.

There’s whole grains, high-protein beans, and plenty of healthy and high-fiber vegetables. It also is low in fat, high in flavors meal.

Barley Recipes

I love cooking with barley. It resembles oats in looks and texture. Works great in breads, soups, stews, salads, pilafs, and more. It is often sold in the grocery store near rice and dry beans. This barley salad is my favorite summer salad.

Easy Instant Pot Soup

There’s nothing quite like having a nice hot bowl of soup for easy lunch or dinner. It is a quick mood booster for me especially during cold harsh winter weather.

I absolutely love making fresh homemade soup recipes in my Instant Pot. They’re easy to make from scratch. Many of these recipes can be made in big batches so multiple meals are taken care of !

This Vegan Barley Soup is

• HEALTHY
• FULL OF WHOLE GRAINS AND NUTRIENTS
• DAIRY FREE
• LOW COST, BUDGET FRIENDLY
• SUPERBLY FLAVORFUL
• FAMILY FAVORITE MEAL
• SOUL SATISFYING COMFORT FOOD

Ingredients

• Olive oil – skip for WFPB cooking
• Shallot or onion – diced
• Garlic cloves – minced
• Diced Vegetables –  Celery, carrots, zucchini, potatoes and baby spinach
• Pearled barley- rinse, wash and drain water
• Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans- rinse, wash and drain water
• Fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• Low sodium vegetable broth (or water)-
• Italian Seasoning
• Lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper per taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese ( or nutritional yeast for vegan) for topping
• Red pepper flakes, fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley for garnish.

Easy to Adapt Substitutions

• Add vegetables of your choices. Mushrooms, butternut squash, green beans, green jackfruit or peas will work well.
• Make it kitchen sink soup. All the leftover odd ends of veggies can be used.
• Instead of chickpeas, black beans, white beans, corn, edamame or any other beans will work too.
• Other herbs like bay leaves, smoked paprika or marjoram. Or try Cajun seasoning, taco seasoning or curry powder.
• Try it with another grain like quinoa, brown rice or couscous instead of barley.
• A splash of red wine, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or chili garlic sauce can elevate the flavors to next level.

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup?

1. Turn your Instant Pot on to the Sauté function. Add the olive oil. Let the oil get warm in 30 seconds.
2. Add chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt. Sauté on high for 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, garlic and seasoning. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add barley, beans and rest of the veggies ( except spinach). Stir few times so ingredients are mixed well together. (2-3 minutes )
4. Add vegetable broth (or water) and mix well. Deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with the spatula and making sure nothing is stuck at the bottom. Cancel Sauté function.
5. Place the lid on Instant Pot and move the knob to SEALING. Press MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK high pressure for 4 minutes.
6. After it is done cooking, wait for 5 minutes and do a QPR quick pressure release by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid.
7. Add spinach and lemon juice.
8. Gently stir the soup using a ladle. Adjust the seasoning. Serve in a bowl. Drizzle some lemon juice, black pepper, and garnish with fresh chopped herbs.  Bon Appetit!

How To make Barley Soup on Stovetop?

1. In a heavy bottom pan, add the olive oil. Once the oil heats up, add onions. Sprinkle some salt. Sauté on high for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, garlic and seasoning. Let it sizzle.  Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add barley,  beans and rest of the veggies ( except spinach). Stir a few times so ingredients are mixed well together. (2-3 minutes )
3. Add vegetable broth. (or water) Mix well. Let it come to boil on medium-high heat. Then reduce heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 15 mins .
4. Check and stir a few times to make sure it does not burn at the bottom. Barley should be tender, and potatoes should be soft. Turn the heat off. Serve garnished as suggested. Enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

I love this cozy dinner soup because I don’t have to make a bunch of sides to serve with it. I usually just serve it with fresh baguette to keep that homestyle comfort and simplicity.

Kids love it with avocado toast or Air Fryer garlic toast . Add some Kale Chips, Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes, simple salad or potato wedges for café style meal.

This a fairly thick soup which fills you up well with clean healthy ingredients. This deliciously healthy barley soup with vegetables is packed with fiber to help keep you feeling full all day, so you won’t have to worry about snacking.

Storage and Reheating

Leftovers of this vegan barley soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure to completely cool it down before you transfer it to refrigerate.

This soup freezes well too. Once the soup has cooled completely, transfer it to freezer-safe airtight containers leaving enough room at the top. You can keep for 3 months in freezer.

To reheat, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Reheat in microwave or over medium heat on stove. You might have to a little more water or broth to get right consistency.

FAQs

Our Popular Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

• LENTIL QUINOA SOUP
• WHITE BEAN AND SPINACH SOUP
• THAI RED CURRY
• VEGAN STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
• CREAMY MUSHROOM PASTA
• RED BEANS CURRY – RAJMA MASALA
• CREAMY CORN CHOWDER

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📖 Recipe

Vegetable Barley Soup Instant Pot

Prajakta Sukhatme

Vegetable Barley Soup is one pot wonder meal. This comfort food classic is vegan, hearty and wholesome.

4.37 from 46 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Comfort Food

Cuisine American

Servings 8 -10 cups

Calories 189 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive oil – skip for WFPB cooking
• ▢ 1 medium shallot -diced
• ▢ 3-4 garlic cloves – minced
• ▢ 1 stalk of celery- diced
• ▢ 1 medium carrot – diced
• ▢ 1 medium zucchini diced
• ▢ 2 medium potatoes- cubed
• ▢ 1 cup packed baby spinach
• ▢ 1 cup pearled barley- rinse wash and drain water
• ▢ 1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans – rinse, wash and drain water
• ▢ 1 15 oz can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ Salt and Pepper per taste
• ▢ Freshly grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for vegan for topping
• ▢ Red pepper flakes fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley for garnish.

Instructions

 

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup

• Turn your Instant Pot on to the Sauté function. Add the olive oil. Let the oil get warm in 30 seconds. Add chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt.  Sauté on high for 2 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, garlic and seasoning. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add barley, beans and rest of the veggies ( except spinach). Stir a few times so ingredients are mixed well together. (2-3 minutes )
• Add vegetable broth (or water) and mix well. Deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with the spatula and making sure nothing is stuck at the bottom. Cancel Sauté function.
• Place the lid on Instant Pot and move the knob to SEALING. Press MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK high pressure for 5 minutes.
• After it is done cooking, wait for 5 minutes and do a QPR quick pressure release by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid.
• Add spinach and lemon juice. Gently stir the soup using a ladle.  Adjust the seasoning. Serve in a bowl. Drizzle some lemon juice, black pepper, and garnish with fresh chopped herbs.  Bon Appetit!

How to make vegetable barley soup on stove top

• In a heavy bottom pan, add the olive oil. Once the oil heats up, add onions. Sprinkle some salt. Sauté on high for 2-3 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, garlic and seasoning. Let it sizzle.  Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add barley,  beans and rest of the veggies ( except spinach). Stir a few times so ingredients are mixed well together. (2-3 minutes )
• Add vegetable broth. (or water) Mix well. Let it come to boil on high heat. Then reduce heat, cover the pan, and let it cook for about 15 mins on medium heat.
• Check and stir a few times to make sure it does not burn at the bottom. Barley should be tender, and potatoes should be soft. Turn the heat off. Serve garnished as suggested. Enjoy.

CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS:

• Follow the same directions as above. Cook on High setting for 3 hours or Low setting for 5-6 hours. 

Notes

Chop the onions, carrot, and celery and potatoes in the same sizes so they cook at the same rate.

You can adjust the amount of liquid to make it as a soup or a stew. Add some exciting toppings like cut up avocado, cheese or potato chips to make it a chili. 

This soup makes a big batch. You can use it for multiple meals.

Nutrition

Serving: 1+ cupCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 375mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8g

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