Use the Instant Pot to produce a hearty, vegetable-packed soup in 30 minutes, start to finish. Cooking the chickpea pasta separately ensures it won’t become mushy in the soup, so it’s worth the extra step. A swirl of fresh pesto adds a pop of color and freshness to this wintery soup.

This soup packs a variety of veggies, perfect to load up on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants during flu and cold season.

Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Instant Pot Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (45g) chopped fennel bulb
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup (60g) dry white wine
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups (360g) canned diced no-salt added tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cups (150g) cauliflower florets (2-inch/5cm) 
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 (15-oz.) can low-sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup (50g) protein-plus chickpea elbow pasta, cooked according to package instructions
• 1/4 cup (65g) pesto

Directions

Put the oil in the Instant Pot, select sauté, and adjust to high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds.

Add the wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Press cancel. Add the broth, tomatoes, and cauliflower. Lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook, adjust to high pressure, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When the cook time is complete, turn the valve to venting to quickly release the pressure.

Carefully unlock the lid and stir in the zucchini, beans, salt, and pepper. Select sauté and adjust to medium heat. Cover with a regular pan lid and simmer until the zucchini is just cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pasta.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with 1 tbsp pesto. Cool leftovers and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 1/8 cup (280g)

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 348; Total Fat: 14g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 3mg; Sodium: 655mg; Carbohydrate: 43g; Dietary Fiber: 14g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 13g

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium: 7%; Iron: 24%; Potassium: 723mg; Vitamin A: 101%; Vitamin C: 90%

Originally published January, 2021; Updated May 2026

The post Pressure Cooker Minestrone appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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QUETTA: Police have registered a case against Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and PkMAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, on charges of allegedly spreading hatred against state institutions and criticising the present government while addressing a public gathering.

Other party leaders have also been named in the FIR. The charges relate to an allegedly provocative speech made against state institutions.

The action was taken following a written complaint submitted by Abdul Wali Khan, son of Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a member of the Shinzai tribe and a resident of Gulistan Kari.

According to the FIR registered at Gulistan Police Station, the complainant stated that, during a public meeting, Achakzai allegedly said that law and order in Balochistan continued to deteriorate and that the current government had completely failed to provide security to the public.

He allegedly described the government as a “Form-47 fake government” and proposed the formation of an alternative force by recruiting people from various tribes in competition with the Pakistan Army.

The FIR further alleged that the accused encouraged people across Pakistan to become Afghan proxies, thereby attempting to create hatred and unrest between state institutions and the public.

Acting on the complaint, police registered a case against Mehmood Khan Achakzai and others under Sections 153, 505, 131, 341, 147, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as under the Balochistan Sound System Regulation Act, 2016.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026

SEOUL, June 7 — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung nominated Han Seong-sook to be his next prime minister on Sunday, making her only the second woman to hold the post if confirmed by parliament.

Han currently serves as minister for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups.

The nomination comes after Lee’s party dominated local elections on Wednesday, although the Democratic Party lost the high-profile Seoul mayoral race to the opposition.

The elections also sparked controversy over ballot shortages that affected 50 polling stations nationwide, prompting the head of the state election watchdog to resign.

Lee has “judged nominee Han to be the right person to take responsibility for growth and people’s livelihoods at a time when the country faces a major strategic transition driven by AI innovation and complex global crises”, Lee’s chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik told reporters at a news conference.

Han’s nomination requires parliamentary approval, but is expected to be confirmed as the ruling party holds a majority in the 300-member National Assembly, barring any major ethical concerns or scandals.

If confirmed, the 58-year-old will become only the second woman to serve as prime minister.

The first was Han Myeong-sook, who held the post from 2006 to 2007.

Outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is widely expected to run for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party. — AFP

One of the great elements of the sci-fi genre that has helped it stay relevant and impactful all these years later is just how easily it is able to not just stand on its own, but actively support other genres and styles of filmmaking. Whether it's sci-fi drama films like Her, sci-fi horror films like The Thing, or even sci-fi family movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, nearly every other genre can be merged and amplified with sci-fi elements.

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Polly Lou Adams Guests On The Latest Cartoon Caption Contest Podcast

Polly Lou Adams (upper left in the photo), who began contributing to The New Yorker in June of 2025, joins two of four CCCP co-hosts, Paul Nesja (upper right) and Nicole Chrolavicius. It’s Episode #249 for those keeping track. Listen here. 

Visit Polly Lou Adams website here. ___________________________________________________________________

A New Yorker State Of Mind Digs Into The Issue Of April 25, 1936

A New Yorker State of Mind: Reading Every Issue of The New Yorker Magazine continues its good work. 

Read it here. 

Cover by Rea Irvin: Born, San Francisco, 1881; died in the Virgin Islands,1972. Irvin was the cover artist for the New Yorker’s first issue, February 21, 1925. He was the magazine’s first art and only art supervisor (some refer to him as its first art editor) holding the position from 1925 until 1939 when James Geraghty assumed the title of art editor. Irvin then became art director and remained in that position until William Shawn officially succeeded Harold Ross in early 1952. Irvin’s last original work for the magazine was the magazine’s cover of July 12, 1958. The February 21, 1925 Eustace Tilley cover had been reproduced every year on the magazine’s anniversary until 1994, when R. Crumb’s Tilley-inspired cover appeared. Tilley has since reappeared, with other artists substituting from time-to-time. Number of New Yorker covers (not including the repeat appearances of the first cover every anniversary up to 1991): 179. Number of cartoons contributed: 261. 

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Article Of Interest…Guy Richards Smit

From The Creative Independent, April 30, 2026, Mr. Smit’s  conversation with Brandon Stosay. 

Guy Richards Smit began contributing to The New Yorker in 2022.

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Live Interview Of Interest: Liza Donnelly On Radio Free Rhinecliff

Liza Donnelly, long-time New Yorker contributor, and filmmaker (Women Laughing) will be live today at 5 on Radio Free Rhinecliff. Listen here.  

Photo: Eric Korenman

SAN SALVADOR, June 10 — Four Central American countries hunkered down yesteray as Tropical Storm Cristina approached with potential for heavy rain and storm surges.

El Salvador’s education ministry closed schools and universities yesterday and today due to the risk of landslides, flooding, and other hazards.

Fishermen in La Libertad, 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital San Salvador, were ordered to remain in port, which was lashed by strong waves.

Dozens of seafront shops shuttered in advance of Cristina’s arrival, as did the seafood market.

El Salvador’s civil protection director Luis Alonso Amaya said 180 shelters have been set up across the country in anticipation of heavy rainfall over the next three days.

In Guatemala, authorities said they expected the heaviest rainfall to occur along the coast, on the central Altiplano region and in the valleys of eastern Guatemala.

Nicaraguan co-president Rosario Murillo urged residents to stay away from the coast due to heavy rains that have been intensifying since Sunday.

In Honduras, emergency management authorities issued an alert for nine regions.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami reported early Tuesday that Cristina was approaching the Central American coast with sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour).

The NHC warned that the storm, moving north at six kph, is expected to bring four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, with up to 12 inches possible across coastal portions of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala through Thursday morning.

“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” NHC said in a bulletin.

“Coastal flooding from storm surge is possible in areas of onshore winds.”

Central America is one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions. — AFP