Hm, I’d estimate probably half a cup of barley and 1-2 cups more liquid. Pearl and hulled barley are different, and have different cooking times – you can soak hulled barley (which takes longer to cook) to help speed things up. You might want to check out this for more info about the two different kinds! https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/instant-pot-barley/ And I sometimes add rice to lentil soup as well – I like using converted/parboiled rice (such as Ben’s original) because it holds up super well in soup due to its low starch content. Hope that helps and hope you like it!

So glad you liked it, and you’re welcome! :-) You can not soak the lentils if you want, but I always find they are easier to digest when they are soaked and rinsed.

Yes, we had this so much growing up too, and now my four year old constantly requests it!

So happy to hear you liked it! This is one of my favorite recipes!

So happy you liked it, and your subs are perfectly fine!

Hope you like it!

Luv the simplicity and fun way of your instructions. I am Caribbean born, from the islands, and I’m trying out your recipe this weekend. Thank you

Aw yay! This comment made my day. So happy to hear this recipe reminded you of your grandmother’s. This recipe is tweaked just a bit from my family’s recipe- I added tomatoes and used stock, but the original recipe did not have any tomatoes and used plain old water. It’s fun to play around with because it’s such a forgiving recipe.

I use my 7 quart and it’s fine for a single recipe! Hope you like it ?

Great question! So first of all, make sure you are using the right lentils. Some, like red lentils, will just disintegrate into whatever you’re cooking. Regular lentils (green or brown) maintain their shape better. Second- I made sure not to overcook them. They actually have a bit of bite to them- but not in a raw way. They just aren’t super mushy. After soaking, you really only need about 30 minutes tops for the lentils to cook! And finally- add the salt to the soup BEFORE cooking (like in this recipe), rather than after! Lots of people say to salt legumes after cooking, but actually adding salt before cooking (and even during soaking) helps maintain the structural integrity of the skin. Serious Eats did a good write-up on it with their experimentations with salted/unsalted water. Hope that helps!

Hooray! Thanks for liking and pinning!! :-)

You’ve been missing out! Come back and let me know how this turned out when you make it :-)