The One Meal That Gets My Weight Loss Back on Track

Dr. McDougall’s famous minestrone soup is packed with fiber, volume, and real whole plant foods that help you feel full, satisfied, and back in control — without counting calories or using oil.

No oil. No processed foods. No weird additives.

After losing 70 pounds after 50, improving my blood pressure, and finally enjoying food without guilt, I learned that simple, clean meals like this make all the difference.

This soup is:
✔️ Oil-free
✔️ High volume, low calorie
✔️ Weight-loss friendly
✔️ Perfect for resets, meal prep, or busy weeks

Recipe:
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (Using Canned Beans)

Prep: ~15 minutes

Cook (IP): ~25 minutes + natural release

Serves: ~8 hearty bowls

Ingredients

Beans & Base
• 1–2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

(Use 2 cans if you like a heartier, bean-forward soup)
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 6–7 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

Vegetables
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
• 6–8 fingerling potatoes, cut into chunks
• ½ cup fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1½ cups shredded cabbage
• ¼ cup chopped parsley (or add at the end)

Seasonings
• 1½ teaspoons dried basil
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram (or extra oregano if you don’t have it)
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt to taste at the end (important)

Pasta (added last)
• ½ cup uncooked whole wheat elbow pasta
(or small pasta of choice)

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Sauté (Optional but recommended)
   • Set Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal).
   • Add a splash of water or broth.
   • Sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until softened.
   • Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
   (If you’re in a rush, you can skip sautéing — it’ll still be good.)

2. Pressure Cook – Main Soup
   Add the following in this order:
   • Kidney beans
   • Chickpeas
   • Tomatoes + tomato sauce
   • Celery, carrot, potatoes, green beans
   • All dried seasonings
   • Water or broth
   DO NOT add pasta or cabbage yet.
   • Lock lid, valve set to Sealing
   • Cook on High Pressure – 8 minutes
   • Let Natural Release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure

3. Add Pasta & Cabbage
   • Open lid
   • Stir in:
   ◦ Shredded cabbage
   ◦ Pasta
   • Set to Sauté (Normal) and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
   (If soup thickens too much, add a bit more hot water.)