I’m excited to share our recipe for Instant Pot Persian Cream of Barley Soup, also known as Soup eh Joe. This basic soup is Persian comfort food at its finest.  It’s our version of chicken noodle soup, often made when someone in the family is feeling under the weather.  The first time I had this soup was at Bob’s folk’s house –  it was one of his grandma’s many culinary specialties.  Our girls grew up eating Soup eh Joe by big spoonfuls.  It’s loaded with a base of barley, sweet, grated carrots, and simple veggies.  Kids appreciate the simplicity of the flavors in this soup.  Soup is a wonderful way to nourish a family.  A hearty soup like this one becomes a complete meal.  I love that we can take this traditional, very delicious dish and prepare it in a short amount of time.

Joe means barley in Farsi!  Silly me, I used to think that Soup eh Joe meant ‘Joe’s Soup’.  But who is Joe?  😉  This is a testament to how Americanized I am.  My family moved here when I was a toddler and my Farsi never grew past toddler levels of language.  I am digging deep into my roots by sharing our favorite Persian family recipes adding my own healthy twists. 

In today’s culture, most of us are juggling jobs in addition to running a household.  We need well balanced, healthy meals we can get from the kitchen to the table in a half-hour or less.  I admire our female boss queen ancestors and their amazing ability to raise multiple kids, entertain large groups of people, all the while remaining calm, balanced, and poised.  Today we have different kinds of daily responsibilities – thank the heavens for the Instant Pot!

Let’s talk about nutritional benefits.  Barley is an ancient grain.  A good definition of an ancient grain comes from the Whole Grains Council, “we generally define ancient grains loosely as grains that are largely unchanged over the last several hundred years.”

This trait is exactly what we are looking for in healthy, simple, whole foods.  We want to be consuming foods that are very close to their original unmodified and unprocessed forms.  Go grains and go barley!!

In addition to the nutritional benefits of making soup with an ancient grain like barley, there are loads of vitamins and nutrients in the vegetable ingredients.  Barley, potatoes, and carrots all have fiber that makes you feel full longer and also helps with digestion.

Do you still use a grater?  I normally stock the kitchen with baby carrots that we snack on, vs. long carrots.  However, grating baby carrots is no picnic!  If you are using a grater I recommend picking up a bunch of long, thick carrots.  Use the medium fine side of a box grater, or, if you are clever like my mom-in-law you’ll throw the carrots in the Cuisinart for a quick chop-chop.  

Tip:  save time and energy by throwing the carrots the Cuisinart instead of hand grating.

Traditional Soup eh Joe recipes often include chicken and/or chicken broth.  In this recipe, I keep things light and vegetarian.  I use vegetable broth and low-fat milk.  Some families make a very creamy soup with a bechamel sauce.  I love creamy, thick soups, however, my digestive system does not!  Use the milk of your choice or skip entirely if you are sensitive to dairy or eating on a vegan diet.  Although it would change the taste, light coconut milk is an option for dairy-free, vegan eaters.

Here is a list of vegetables our family puts in Soup eh Joe:  onions, white potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and scallions (not pictured).

There are multiple things that make this soup creamy – the cooked down starch coming off the barley, the potatoes, and the milk if you choose to add a little milk (the milk can be skipped – it will still be creamy).

Here is an efficient trick for dealing with the potatoes in this soup.  Throw in 2 whole small, peeled white potatoes directly into the Instant Pot.

After the cooking stage and quick release of steam, take the potatoes out after a quick steam release and mash them with a fork.

Then return the mashed potatoes to the pot and give it a good stir.  

Once the soup has been pressured cooked and the mashed potatoes have been added back in, switch the Instant Pot to sauté and add chopped mushrooms and scallions to cook for the remaining 10 minutes or so, all the while stirring.  Add the milk or non-dairy substitute last.  Often folks like to add some lemon juice to this soup before serving.  Garnish with fresh parsley, coriander or chives.  A thin yogurt or cream also makes for a pretty garnish.

This is one of my all-time favorite soups.  I sure hope you try it.  If you do try our recipe it would be much appreciated if you could please give it a star rating!

Yield: 8

Instant Pot Persian Cream of Barley Soup | Soup eh Joe

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Persian Cream of Barley Soup, in Farsi known as "Soup eh Joe", is Persian comfort food at its finest.  It's like our version of chicken noodle soup.  This soup is often made when someone in the family is feeling under the weather.  It's a nutritious, filling soup made with healthy veggies and an ancient grain. The best part is it can all be made in an Instant Pot in less than half an hour start to finish!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup barley
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 1/4 inch thick slices)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cups carrots (about 2 to 3 large carrots)
• 2 whole, peeled small white potatoes
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste after cooking)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 scallions chopped (about 1/4 cup) - cooking shears work well
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk (or non-dairy substitute)
• fresh parsley, coriander or chives for garnish
• plain
• non-fat yogurt for garnish (optional)
• Lemon juice to taste when serving

Instructions

1. Pre-soak pearl barley for 4 to 6 hours in water
2. Chop onions, chop celery, slice scallions, grate carrots, peel potatoes
3. Drain barley from the water after soaking
4. Add broth, barley and chopped/sliced/grated vegetables to the pot (leave the peeled potatoes whole)
5. Turn the Instant Pot on to the Soup setting and adjust the time for 10 minutes
6. Quick-release steam
7. Remove the cooked potatoes
8. Mash the potatoes with a fork
9. Put potato back in the pot and stir into the soup
10. Switch Instant Pot to sauté mode
11. Chop mushrooms
12. Add mushrooms and milk to the pot which should now be boiling
13. Stir and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes
14. Use an immersion blender until soup is the desired creamy consistency
15. Garnish with fresh parsley coriander or chives
16. Salt to taste, add lemon juice if desired, garnish with yogurt

Notes

If using pearl or unhulled barley, presoak the barley for 4 to 6 hours. This step can be skipped if using steel-cut, hulled barley.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to desired creaminess. We love it creamy yet still with some vegetable texture. To achieve this result it takes only a few rounds with the immersion blender.

If using a box or hand grater, use large carrots and the medium fine grate. I recommend using a Cuisinart for faster carrot grating!

To make this recipe dairy-free/vegan, either use low-fat coconut milk or skip the milk entirely - it is optional. The starch of the barley and the potatoes add cream as it is.

This recipe can also be made stop top. If cooking in a pot, stovetop, soak the pearl barley overnight. Increase the stovetop cook time to 2 hours cooking over a simmering heat, stirring often.

Garnish with fresh parsley, coriander or chives.  A thin yogurt or cream also makes for a pretty garnish. A trick to make decorative designs with the cream or yogurt is to place it in a small zip lock bag. Cut a small snip in the corner of the bag and make your design on the top of the soup once it's been served in a bowl. Then garnish with fresh parsley, coriander or chives.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

8
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 478mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 6g

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out another one of my favorites, nutritious and nourishing Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash. Another Persian soup favorite is Khoresh Gheymeh (Persian Yellow Split Pea Soup)!