Vegetable Barley Soup Instant Pot
Vegetable Barley Soup is one pot wonder meal. This comfort food classic is vegan, hearty and wholesome.
Servings: 8 -10 cups
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
- 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+ cup | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 375mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g