So why am I making this Instant Pot Barley and Vegetable Risotto recipe? Well for a few reasons. I love making recipes in my Instant Pot.
The other reason is having recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I have to try and come up up with some healthier recipes.
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I’ve used barley before in my Vegetable Barley Soup, but this was the first time I made it in my Instant Pot. Just like every other recipe you make in your Instant Pot, it’s quick and easy.
The only difference with this recipe is that you need to use the Saute function before you close the lid to pressure cook.
Reader Feedback
“Loved this! Delicious and nutritious and quick! First time making barley in an instapot. Didn’t have mushrooms, but added sun-dried tomatoes. Will top the leftovers with egg for breakfast. Yum!”
– Diana
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Recipe FAQ’s
You do not have to change the cooking time. It will simply take more time for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure. Just make sure you don’t overfill the pot!
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You will need the following ingredients to make this Barley and Vegetable Risotto recipe in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (see recipe card for quantities): Olive Oil, Yellow Onion, Pearl Barley, Garlic Cloves, Vegetable Broth, White Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Salt, Baby Spinach, Parmesan Cheese and Ground Black Pepper.
How to Make Instant Pot Barley and Vegetable Risotto
- Press sauté, heat oil in instant pot. Add onion, cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened. Add barley and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, mushrooms, bell pepper and salt, mix well.
- Secure lid and move pressure release valve to sealing position. Press Manual, cook at high pressure 18 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
- Stir in spinach, let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Gently stir in cheese and black pepper.
Instant Pot Barley and Vegetable Risotto
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 cup Pearl Barley, uncooked
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups Vegetable Broth
- 8 oz White Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Baby Spinach, Packed
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Press sauté, heat oil in instant pot. Add onion, cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened. Add barley and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, mushrooms, bell pepper and salt, mix well.
- Secure lid and move pressure release valve to sealing position. Press Manual, cook at high pressure 18 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use natural release for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
- Stir in spinach, let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Gently stir in cheese and black pepper.
Loved this! Delicious and nutritious and quick! First time making barley in an instapot. Didn’t have mushrooms, but added sun-dried tomatoes. Will top the leftovers with egg for breakfast. Yum!
I’ve made this twice before and will do so again tonight to pair with the chops for our Valentine’s dinner. Yes, it’s that good! Thanks Rod!
Didn’t have mushrooms, so I followed another reviewers tip and used celery.
Very tasty and loved the nutty texture of the barley.
Such a quick and easy recipe to assemble.
Thanks!
I used pot barley more liquid and cooked for about 25 minutes. It was the best risotto every. Thank you.
Excellent recipe. Easy, delicious. Mine tasted a little salty (maybe the parm) so I may omit the 1 tsp. Salt next time. I used baby portobello mushrooms to beef it up a little. I also pressure cooked for 20 minutes and the barley turned out perfect al dente. This one is a keeper. 😀
Glad you enjoyed it and Thanks for letting me know!👍🏻
Delicious and creamy. Omitted the oil and Parmesan cheese and substituted a little cashew cream and non-dairy cheese sauce to add to the creaminess. No spinach so used collards. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it. I like the modifications you made. I might just have to try this next time I make this recipe.
This worked perfectly! I don’t eat bell peppers so I used carrots and celery instead. I also added some frozen peas. It turned out great. Thanks!
Hi. This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Could you tell me how long I would need to cook this using hulless barley? I’ve never cooked barley before. Thank you.
Unfortunately, I have never tried this recipe with hulless barley. It’s a great idea though and I am sure it would be delicious!
Very tasty!! I used Italian farro (which is very similar to barley), beef stock instead of vegetable and added 2 chopped carrots instead of mushrooms. Turned out very flavourful!! This is definitely a versatile recipe that would taste good in so many ways!!
Omg! It was the first time I ate barley! It is amazing! I cooked mine for 25 minutes and added 4 cups of chicken broth because that’s all I had due to covid! This is the best recipe! Keep them coming!
I make a huge batch of this without the cheese and put it in the fridge for the week. I add it to soups and when I want a side dish I add the cheese. I use more broth because in the fridge it gets kinda packed. I add a half cup more broth! Yummy!!
I wanted to double this recipe, do you change the cooking time when you make a bigger batch?
You should not have to change the cooking time. It will just take more time for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure. Just make sure you don’t overfill the pot!
Nice! Think next time I would add a little more broth and cook for a few more minutes. I added Kale instead of the spinach
Good to know about using Kale. Thanks for sharing!