Instant Pot Barley Risotto with Mushrooms

This Instant Pot barley risotto with mushrooms is a great way to add more whole grains to your diet. Barley risotto is tender and creamy, and making it in the pressure cooker is quite effortless.

I love risotto in all its forms, and I have quite a few risotto recipes on the blog as a result. Even though making risotto the traditional way is a labour of love, I quite like the process and find it soothing.

This time, I'm trying something different. This Instant Pot barley risotto with mushrooms has the same base ingredients as a regular risotto, including wine, butter, herbs and Parmesan, but uses pearl barley instead of carnaroli rice.

And since pearl barley takes much longer to cook than rice, I switched my trusted risotto pan for the Instant Pot.

Thanks to the pearl barley, the result is a flavourful veggie meal that's more nutritious than regular risotto.

While this pressure cooker barley risotto is not quite as creamy as traditional risotto, the addition of butter almost takes it there. The reason pearl barley risotto lacks natural creaminess is that there is not enough starch in this grain.

What do you need to make Instant Pot

Olive oil — Sauteeing the onion in a bit of olive oil sets up an excellent flavour base for the risotto. If you don't cook with oil, you can substitute it with a bit of veggie stock instead.

Onion — I like to chop the onion quite finely for this pearl barley risotto. If you like bigger chunks, you can definitely chop it more roughly.

Mushrooms — Chestnut mushrooms are great for this risotto with barley, but you can use any other mushrooms you like.

Closed cup, portobello, shiitake and even oyster mushrooms are great ideas.

If you do use portobello mushrooms, keep in mind that the risotto may be darker in colour.

Dry white wine — Any dry white wine works for this risotto. I typically use Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. If you don't cook with alcohol, you can leave it out or replace it with the same quantity of veggie stock. The flavour won't be the same, though.

Garlic — I use crushed garlic for this barley risotto, but you can also chop it finely if you want. Feel free to increase the quantity if you'd like the risotto to be super garlicky.

Fresh thyme and rosemary — Fresh herbs fill this barley risotto with so much flavour! If you don't have them, you can substitute with a teaspoon of dried thyme and dried rosemary each.

Pearl barley — Although both pearl barley and rice are carbohydrates, pearl barley is more nutritious than carnaroli or arborio rice, the two types most commonly used for risotto.

It contains more fibre and calcium and it takes longer to digest, which means that it will keep you full for longer. You don't need to presoak the pearl barley for this risotto, but you can give it a quick rinse.

Vegetable stock — I make this barley risotto with vegetable stock, but you can use mushroom stock or even chicken stock if you're not a vegetarian.

Butter — This is optional, but adding a bit of butter will make the pearl barley risotto creamy.

Parmesan — To make barley risotto vegetarian, use a hard cheese alternative to Parmesan.

Unfortunately, Parmiggiano Reggiano is not vegetarian because it's made with animal rennet, but you shouldn't have a problem finding vegetarian-friendly alternatives in major supermarkets.

How to make it?

Set the Instant Pot to "Saute" and add the olive oil. When the oil has heated, add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the dry white wine and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary and then cancel the "Saute" function.

Add the pearl barley and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Lock the lid into position and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 25 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 2-3 minutes, then perform a quick release by turning the valve to "Venting".

When the pin drops, open the Instant Pot and stir in the butter, Parmesan and parsley.

Season to taste and serve hot, with extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• You can add some rehydrated porcini mushrooms for extra flavour. You can even replace some of the stock with the liquid you rehydrated the mushrooms in.
• Depending on the type of mushrooms you use, you may notice that there's too much liquid in the Instant Pot when you open the lid. If that happens, simply set the Instant Pot to "Saute" and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid reduces to your liking. You can then stir in the butter, Parmesan and parsley.
• This recipe has been tested in a 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo.

If you liked this Instant Pot barley risotto with mushrooms, you might also like some of my other easy recipes for the Instant Pot:

• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Instant Pot Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
• Vegan Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
• Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

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