Description
Make a rich, creamy mushroom and barley soup quickly using your Instant Pot. This recipe uses cashew cream for a dairy-free finish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained
- 1/2 cup water (for cream)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional, for cheesy flavor)
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Add olive oil. When hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown, about 6 minutes. Press Cancel.
- Stir in the rinsed barley, vegetable broth, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Secure the lid and set the vent to Sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook (High Pressure) for 15 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle finishes, allow a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 minutes, then carefully quick release any remaining pressure.
- While the soup is releasing pressure, prepare the cream: Combine the soaked cashews, 1/2 cup fresh water, and nutritional yeast (if using) in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Open the Instant Pot. Stir the cashew cream mixture into the soup. The soup will thicken as it cools slightly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed before serving.
Notes
- If you do not have raw cashews, you can substitute 1/2 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk for the cream base.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute pearled barley with quick-cooking brown rice or quinoa, adjusting the cooking time as needed (usually 10 minutes high pressure with 10 minute NPR).
- If the soup is too thick after stirring in the cream, add a splash more broth or water until you reach your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 0