Vegetable Minestrone Soup + Whole Wheat Biscuits

This was a live video, cooking a big batch of vegetable minestrone soup in my Instant Pot. Plus we decided to make some biscuits at the same time!

If you have a can of tomatoes, a bunch of veggies, and some pasta/orzo/rice, you can make it along with me – I’m pretty much going to throw in whatever I come up with in my kitchen. And you can ask me questions about healthy cooking, soups, Instant Pots, or whatever else you want…

Here’s an “official” recipe, as written in my College Vegan cookbook, if you want to check what you have on hand:

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Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is so comforting on a cold winter day—it will fill your belly and fuel your brain. It does take time to chop the veggies, so cut as you cook to save a bit of time. This is perfect served with crackers, garlic toast, or whole-wheat biscuits.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Author: Heather Nicholds, C.H.N.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 onion chopped or 1 tsp onion powder
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• pinch sea salt
• 2 potatoes peeled or scrubbed and diced
• 1/2 cup green beans fresh or frozen chopped
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can navy beans rinsed and drained or any white bean
• 3 cups vegetable broth or 3 cups water with 1 veg boullion cube
• 3 cups water
• 1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs
• 4 oz whole grain pasta such as small shells macaroni, or orzo
• 1/2 zucchini chopped
• 1-2 cups kale chopped or spinach, collards, or chard

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, or an electric pressure cooker on saute. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic (if using fresh) and a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
• Add the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes with their juices, beans, pasta, zucchini, vegetable broth, water, and dried herbs (plus the onion and/or garlic powder, if using).
• For stovetop: Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the pasta and potatoes are cooked through. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped greens to wilt.
• For electric pressure cooker: close and lock the lid, set the time for 3 min on high pressure. When the time in finished, quick release the pressure, being careful not to have your fingers in the stream of outgoing steam. Wait until the lid unlocks, then open and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the chopped greens to wilt.

Video

Tried this recipe?Tag me @HeatherNicholds so I can see!

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Whole-Wheat Biscuits

This is my mom’s biscuit recipe; rather than kneading and rolling the dough to cut smooth rounds, she would just pull the dough and drop it onto a baking sheet, which made crispy little bits on the top. These biscuits are perfect with chili or soup. They are best served warm, though they will keep in the fridge and can be reheated in a toaster oven.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time22 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 biscuits

Author: Heather Nicholds, C.H.N.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour use a lighter one like spelt or whole white wheat
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (if using coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegan margarine softened but not melted
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the top position.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking powder, and salt. Sift the ingredients or mix together with a fork. Add the margarine and, using your clean fingers, mix it in until it looks like coarse crumbs.
• Add the milk, stirring with a fork or your hands until just blended (don’t stir too much). Pull pieces of batter, about 1/4 cup or so, and place on a rimmed baking sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, until slightly browned at the edges.

Notes

TECHNIQUE TIP: Mixing the margarine into the flour is called cutting in, and it works best if you make scissor-like motions with your fingers.

Tried this recipe?Tag me @HeatherNicholds so I can see!