How To Make Vegetable Barley Soup
When a recipe like this Instant Pot barley soup with vegetables comprises just 5 simple steps, its already a winner in my eyes.
- 1) First, prepare all the ingredients. Start by rinsing and finely dicing the onion and potato, then slicing the carrot and celery. Then mince the garlic and drain and dice the extra-firm tofu. You could also juice the lime now, too.
- 2) Then, in a pressure cooker thats at-least 6-quarts, add the barley, onion, garlic, potatoes, celery, carrot, water, and crushed bouillon cubes.
For more depth of flavor, start by using the sauté function with the vegetables with a swirl of oil or vegetable stock until lightly browned.
- 3) Fasten the lid and set the pressure cooker on manual HIGH for 20 minutes.
- 4) When ready, carefully release the quick-release valve and add the frozen broccoli, spinach, tofu, lime juice, and pepper, and stir.
The residual heat should be enough to finish cooking the frozen veg when making Instant Pot barley soup. Replace the lid for 2-3 minutes to help the process. If you find it lacking in flavor, you can also add another bouillon cube at this point.
- 5) Finally, serve the vegetable barley soup optionally with a drizzle of hot sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro or parsley.
Crock Pot Vegetable Barley Soup
Slow cooker vegetarian barley soup is great for those who want to set-and-forget and leave it doing its thing all day, making the house smell amazing, and being ready just in time for dinner!
How To Strain Vegetable Broth
Regardless of how you prepared your vegetable broth, once cooked, you need to strain off the solids from the broth before storing the broth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large pot and pour the broth carefully over the strainer. Be sure to discard the scraps in the trash, not down the disposal, as it can be too much for the disposal.
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How To Make Vegetable Broth In The Instant Pot
The recipe makes about 9 cups of stock.
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Pressure build up and release 55 mins | Total Time 1 hour 30 mins
The best way to make this vegetable pressure cooker broth is by saving the trimmings from veggies as you prepare meals. Simply drop them into a gallon freezer bag . Once the bag is full, it is time to make a batch of vegetable stock.
Instructions To Make The Homemade Stock
Start by dumping the bag of vegetable scraps into the instant pot and add water to max fill line or all 9 cups.
Seal the lid and pressure valve and cook on high for 30 minutes.
After cooking, let the instant pot complete natural release of pressure.
Pour the Instant Pot vegetable stock through a fine mesh strainer or strain with cheesecloth into another container.
Use right away or allow to cool to room temperature before before you store in the refrigerator.
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What Is An Instant Pot
If you don’t know what an Instant Pot is, it is a “pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute/browning, yogurt maker, steamer & warmer” all in one. You can even bake cakes in it. CAKES! I bought my . It also comes with a little cookbook. I managed to buy mine when it was on sale – so keep an eye out for the good deals!
Definitely make sure to read the instructions thoroughly before using it!
Vegetable Stock Instant Pot
Making vegetable broth in an instant pot is easy! You can entirely make this vegetable stock from scraps or use both – fresh veggies + veggie scarps. In this recipe I used both.
Freezing vegetable scraps for stock is so convenient. You can collect the veggie scraps in a zip lock back & than freeze them. Use them whenever you are making veggie broth in pressure cooker, no need to thaw!
The key to a rich & savory quick vegetable stock with a great of depth of flavor is using a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, veggie scraps & flavorings like peppercorns, bay leaves. Learn how to make instant pot veggie broth from scraps with our simple dump & start recipe! No sautéing needed!
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Instant Pot Vegetable Broth Stock Recipe
Oct 25, 2022 by Matt · This post may contain affiliate links ·
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Instant Pot Vegetable Broth is one of the best things to make when you have an Instant Pot. It is so easy to make. Once you make this Instant Pot vegetable stock recipe I think you will be sold because the veggie broth can be used in all of your pressure cooker recipes.
Ingredients For Vegetable Broth
- Onion skin on for flavor and color
- Mushrooms adds depth, richness and color
- Garlic great for your health and for flavor
- Celery good for the base of the broth
- Carrots lots of vitamins and flavor
- Parsley use Italian or curly
- Aromatics rosemary, ginger, and bay leaves
- Salt and pepper adjust to taste
- Any other scraps you have around just be sure to avoid the ones mentioned above in the what not to put in vegetable stock section
- NOTE: Some like to add bones for marrow and additional flavor . This is not a true vegetable stock, but it is tasty. Avoid using bones if you want a true vegetable, vegetarian, or vegan broth.
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Can Vegetable Broth Be Frozen
Yes, you can freeze vegetable broth. It can be stored in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 6 months. Another way to store vegetable broth is to pour it into ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the vegetable broth cubes out and store in a freezer bag. This is great for adding to dishes when you cook when you do not need a whole serving of vegetable broth.
Why This Recipe Works
I have been making this delicious homemade vegetable broth for many years and Im so happy to be sharing my recipe with you.
Laced with the perfume of fennel and coriander seeds, this vegetable broth infuses any recipe it touches with a delightful and distinctive seasoning.
If you cook often like I do, Im sure youre aware of the power of stock. Much more appetizing than water, vegetable stock can be used in various recipes to add flavor and body.
Any savory recipe that calls for water can almost inevitably be improved upon by using stock in its place. In fact, next time you make a pot of rice, try using this vegetable broth instead of water. You wont believe how much flavor it will lend!
I also love this recipe because it is so simple. With just a handful of ingredients, minimal prep time and a bit of patience, you can have a large batch of savory goodness ready.
My vegetable stock recipe is also very concentrated, meaning you dont need to use a lot to give a lot of flavor and can dilute it with some water.
I like to make a big batch of this veggie broth and freeze it in ice cube trays. The stock cubes are extremely handy to use in any recipe.
I use it for soups, curries, pulao, risotto and gravy. I also love heating up a mug full to sip on whenever Im feeling under the weather.
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Instant Pot Vegetable Stock Recipe
If you didn’t catch my Instagram story a couple weeks ago, you missed a very important announcements: I GOT AN INSTANT POT!
Okay, maybe that fact isn’t that important, but it’s definitely super exciting for me! A few other bloggers I keep up with have been loving their Instant Pots – and their readers seem to equally love the recipes they share using it.
I had to get in on the action!
What Should You Not Put In Vegetable Stock
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower dont do particularly well in stock. Their pungent flavor can overpower the broth. The same goes for Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
Also, anything that cant hold up to high pressure in hot water such as lettuce, spinach, potatoes or tomatoes should be avoided. But have no fear you can always add these ingredients to make a lovely soup once your rich Instant Pot vegetable broth is finished.
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Adding Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Rinse about 6 to 7 dried shiitake mushrooms thoroughly in fresh water. Soak for one to two hours in 2 cups of warm water.
When they soften, add them with the soaked water to the remaining vegetables. Additionally add 2 cups water of water if making veggie stock on the stovetop or 4 cups of water for Instant pot cooking.
Gather & Rinse Veggies
- Rinse Veggies: Gather all the fresh veggies & rinse them very well to remove any dirt or debris. Discard any moldy onion skins and wash the leek greens very well under running tap water. Dirt often sits inside the folds of the leek greens.
- Frozen veggie scraps: If using frozen veggie scraps you do not need to thaw them. You can transfer them directly into the instant pot.
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Ingredients In Instant Pot Vegetable Broth
If youre like me, you are always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen. Thats why I love my Instant Pot! It makes broth so quickly and easily, with hardly any cleanup. Plus, the flavor is amazing! In this post, Ill share some of the ingredients that I like to use when making vegetable broth in my Instant Pot. So read on to learn more!
Stop Tossing Your Veggie Scraps And Turn Them Into Broth This No
What’s better than buying a container of veggie broth at the store? Making your own! It’s super easy to do, tastes incredible, and actually reduces your kitchen waste making it a win-win-win. This No-Waste Vegetable Broth uses all of the veggie scraps you might otherwise toss and instead turns them into delicious, savory broth that you can use for so many other recipes.
40% of the food in the US goes uneaten and ends up in landfills. Isn’t that number a little shocking?! You can read all about Why We Need to Be Talking Trash and how to reduce food waste. As someone who eats plant-based, I do know how quickly fresh ingredients need to be used before expiring, wilting, or going bad. This recipe is one of the ways I use every piece of the vegetables I buy!
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Stovetop Vegetarian Barley Soup
If your house is gadget-free, then this stovetop vegan barley soup is still wonderfully simple, and the low and slow simmer means you only need to stir it occasionally. However, it takes longer than the Instant Pot barley soup.
Then serve it up, optionally garnished with a drizzle of hot sauce and sprinkle of cilantro or parsley.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- it’s a great way to make use of all parts of the veggies and reduce your kitchen waste
- it contains many vitamins and minerals which are beneficial to your health
- the Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting – just dump all the ingredients in, and pressure cook!
- it stores really well in the fridge or freezer
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Can You Freeze Chicken Broth Or Vegetable Broth
Yes! You can freeze chicken broth or vegetable broth. Really you can freeze any homemade broth that you make. Including bone broth.
Most of the time I am making chicken broth and vegetable broth. I usually freeze about half of the batch that I make. I like to freeze broth in zip bags because i can lay them flat in the freezer.
I like to portion out the broth that I freeze into 1 cup and 2 cup portions so I can just grab them out of the freezer and they are ready to use for a recipe.
What Is Vegetable Broth
Vegetable broth is nothing more than water that has been infused with vegetables. You can use a myriad of vegetables to infuse the flavor.
The common ingredients in a typical vegetable broth in the United States are onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. The best part of this recipe is that you can really use the ends of the celery and carrots or their peels, which will save you a lot of money.
In the United States, one of the most popular manufacturers of Vegetable Broth is Swanson. Their vegetable broth includes carrots, celery, onions, and cabbage.
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What Vegetables Can I Put In Vegetable Broth
The short answer? All of them! Pretty much any fresh herb or veggie that you’re using in your kitchen can be saved and tossed into this vegetable broth recipe. Instead of throwing vegetable scraps away, set them aside in a bowl and use them for this recipe. You can even keep an airtight container in the freezer to save scraps until you’re ready to use them!
- Leeks, onion, or shallot
- Parsley, chives
- Beets – red or golden beet peels or ends
- Bell pepper cores and stems
- Sweet potato parts or skin
- Parsnip ends and peels
- Butternut squash ends or skin
Enjoy The Vegetable Broth
The last step in all recipes is always the best step since it involves enjoying what you just made. Vegetable broth goes great in a variety of dishes, including rice, grains, or as the base for a soup. There’s just something about this homemade broth that hits the spot and tastes a little better than a broth that you purchase from a store.
If you have more than you need, Carli says that leftovers would keep in an “airtight container for up to one week.” Enjoy!
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Don’t Throw Out Those Vegetable Scraps
Stop! Don’t throw out those carrot peels and broccoli stalks! Did you know that you can save all those stalks and skins of vegetables and make a delicious veggie broth out of them? Yes, you can. And it’s as easy as throwing them all in an Instant Pot with water and pushing a button. Doing this will save you money, give you control over the amount of sodium in your broth and make you feel good about using your veggies to their full potential.
Throwing away vegetable scraps and other food waste is not as innocent as you might think. Food waste does not decompose in the landfill. Instead, throwing food scraps in the garbage generates methane gas which contributes to trapping heat within our atmosphere . It’s estimated that 25% of all food purchased by U.S. households goes in the trash. Whoa. That’s a lot of money literally in the garbage.
So, what can you do to reduce your food waste? First, the most obvious way is to eat the food you buy. Buy only what you need and then commit to eating it before it goes bad. Second, compost it. Finally, use those veggie scraps to make broth!
How To Make Vegetable Broth At Home
Your veggie scraps can be easily turned into vegetable broth in just a few minutes. I like to use my Instant Pot for this, but it can just as easily be done on the stovetop!
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Directions For Making Vegetable Broth In The Instant Pot:
You can get directions on how to can your broth here. OR, you can even dehydrate it for ease of travel, camping or backpacking.
Please note, you CAN make this vegetable broth in the crockpot as well. Simply follow the directions and add vegetables, seasonings, and water to the crockpot. Turn on low for 5-6 hours, then strain. You will still have the delicious broth that can easily be canned, dehydrated or enjoyed within 3 days.
Have you mastered vegetable broth? Read the post here for more than 60 fresh, exciting recipes to use in your instant pot.
