How To Cook Pearl Barley
Get tips for cooking pearl barley 3 ways. It's hearty, delicious and easy to prepare. It’s great in stews, soups, salads or as a side.
Ingredients
- ½ cup pearl barley rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or water 1 cup if using a rice cooker
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Stovetop
- To a large pot add water or vegetable broth, barley and salt. Partially cover the pot with the lid and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes. There may be some extra water which you can drain but if you are making soup, you can reuse the vegetable cooking broth. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Instant Pot
- Add the barley, salt and water into the pot. Cover and close the vent.
- Set the pressure to high and cook for 20 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes or until safe to open.
- Open the Instant Pot and drain if needed.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Rice cooker
- Add barley and 1 cup of liquid to the rice cooker. Stir in salt.
- Close the lid and select “Brown Rice”. Allow it to cook until it switches to “Warm”.
- Rest for 15 minutes. Open the lid and drain if needed.
- Fluff with a fork then serve.
Notes
- Soaking overnight can help speed up cooking time.
- Before adding cooked barley to soups, rinse to remove extra starch that could make the soup thick.
- Cooked barley should be stored in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or two months in the freezer. If freezing, portion it out according to how you plan to use it. Avoid re-freezing once it's defrosted.