instant pot - beef barley soup

• 3 tbsp butter and/or oil, divided
• 2 carrots
• 3 ribs celery
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small potato, grated
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 lb stewing beef
• 1 1/2 litre beef stock
• 1/4 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

In a small bowl, place pearl barley and cover with water. Soak the barley, then strain off the water and repeat several times while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Dice onion, carrots and celery and set aside. Grate potato, rinse and set aside. Finely chop or mince the garlic cloves and set aside. Break up the two beef bouillon cubes.

Dice stewing beef into 1/2" to 1" pieces. In a medium bowl, place flour lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and mix together. Place the stewing beef in the bowl and roll to coat the beef. Place the coated pieces in another bowl, but shake off any excess flour.

With your Instant Pot on saute, add 1/3 of the butter or oil to the inner pot and let it heat up. Add about half of the beef and brown the pieces for about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove to a clean plate. Add another 1/3 of the butter or oil and saute the balance of the beef. Once browned, add it to the plate as before.

Add the last 1/3 of the butter or oil. Add your onion, carrots and celery. Let cook for about 4 or 5 minutes while stirring. Then add the garlic. About a minute later, add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

Add about 1/2 cup of the beef broth and completely deglaze the inner pot. Add the balance of the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, grated potato, crushed bouillon cubes and any additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Layer the soaked, rinsed and drained pearl barley on top, but don't stir.

Put pressure lid onto Instant Pot and pressure cook (manual) for 20 minutes. Let natural release for 15 minutes. Turn valve to venting. Once pin has dropped, carefully remove lid.

Remove bay leaves. Add any additional seasoning as required. Stir soup and serve.

We are proud to feature our late mother/grandmother's dishes in the photo on this page.

Recipe Hints

• You can peel the celery with a vegetable peeler to remove some of the bitterness and stringiness
• Leaving the peel on the potato is a great idea, but you don't have to
• Tomato paste can be purchased in a tube, ideal for small amounts such as this
• Deglazing the inner pot is an important step that should not be skipped as this might lead to the burn notice

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