What is the minimum number of verses that may be recited for the second short surah in prayer?

Reciting a Surah after Al-Fatihah in the first two rak'ahs is a recommended act, not an obligatory one, according to the majority of scholars. The minimum that suffices for recitation is one verse, and it is recommended that it be a long verse, such as Ayat al-Dayn (the verse of debt) or Ayat al-Kursi (the Throne Verse), and that it have an independent meaning. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever recites the Mother of the Book (Al-Fatihah) has sufficed, and whoever adds more, it is better."