Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone: A Hearty & Flavorful Harvest Soup

As the sun dips a little lower and the evenings embrace a gentle coolness, there’s an undeniable craving for the comforting warmth of a hearty soup. If you find yourself longing for that perfect bowl that captures the essence of late summer while welcoming the cozy embrace of autumn, then this Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone is precisely what your soul desires. It’s not just any minestrone; it’s a celebration of your garden’s final, most bountiful offerings, transformed into a nourishing and utterly delicious meal.

This recipe is a wonderful way to utilize the last of those abundant garden vegetables, bringing fresh, vibrant flavors directly to your table. While it might not be as heavy as some traditional winter stews, its rich broth, tender vegetables, and melt-in-your-mouth cheese topping make it incredibly satisfying. The name truly captures its spirit, offering a delightful culinary bridge between summer’s generosity and the approaching crispness of fall.

The Joy of Fresh Preparation for Your Garden Minestrone

Full disclosure: crafting this minestrone involves a fair bit of slicing, dicing, and chopping. While convenient pre-prepared produce is readily available in most markets today, there’s nothing quite like the freshness and flavor of vegetables you’ve prepped yourself. If you have the time, taking a few extra minutes for fresh preparation will elevate the taste of your soup significantly. Freshly chopped vegetables retain more of their natural sweetness and texture, which truly shines in a garden-focused dish like minestrone.

To make the process smoother, it’s highly recommended to get all your vegetables prepped as the very first step. This “mise en place” approach ensures that once you start cooking, the entire process flows seamlessly, and your delicious Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone comes together quickly.

Choosing Your Seasonal Garden Goodies

For this minestrone, we’re using a classic combination that celebrates the end-of-season bounty:

• Zucchini: A quintessential summer squash that adds a lovely tenderness.
• Summer Squash: Similar to zucchini, it provides a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
• Green Beans: For a delightful snap and earthy note.
• Carrots: Adding natural sweetness and a beautiful color. We prefer thin slices for a bit more chunkiness, but dicing works just as well if you prefer smaller pieces.

Feel free to customize this combination based on what’s thriving in your garden or available at your local farmers’ market. Corn would introduce a burst of sweetness, while asparagus would offer a delicate, fresh flavor. The key is to cut all your chosen vegetables into uniform pieces. This ensures they cook evenly and become tender at the same time, contributing to a harmonious texture in every spoonful of your minestrone.

Crafting Your Delicious Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone

Let’s dive into the simple yet rewarding steps to create this incredible garden minestrone. The process is designed to maximize flavor and ensure every ingredient contributes to a wonderfully balanced soup.

Phase 1: Building the Flavor Base

Start by heating your olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a sturdy pot over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until it softens and becomes translucent, releasing its aromatic sweetness. This initial step is crucial for building the foundation of your soup’s flavor. Next, stir in the freshly chopped oregano and minced garlic. Continue to sauté for just one more minute; be careful not to burn the garlic, as this can turn it bitter.

Phase 2: Introducing the Garden Vegetables

Now, add your prepped yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and green beans to the pot. Give them a good stir to combine with the fragrant aromatics. Cover the pot and allow the vegetables to simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. The goal here is to cook them until they are “al dente” – still slightly firm with a pleasant bite, not mushy. This maintains their fresh flavor and texture. Once achieved, remove the pot from the heat and set it aside momentarily.

Phase 3: Crafting the Tomato Broth

While your vegetables are simmering, it’s the perfect time to prepare your fresh tomatoes. Chop them thoroughly, then set aside about one cup of the chopped tomatoes to be added later for texture. The remaining tomatoes will be blended with some of the broth to create a smooth, rich tomato base for your minestrone.

For this blending step, you can use a regular blender, or, for ultimate convenience and less cleanup, an immersion blender works wonders. Simply combine 3 cups of chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of broth in your blender or a high-sided bowl, then process until smooth. This creamy tomato base will add a beautiful depth of flavor and body to your soup.

Phase 4: Simmering to Perfection

Return the pot to the heat and add the blended tomato mixture. Stir in the remaining chopped tomatoes and the rest of the broth, along with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the entire mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow it to cook for a good 20 minutes. This simmering time is crucial for the flavors to meld and deepen, creating that rich, complex broth characteristic of a great minestrone.

Phase 5: The Pasta and Beans

After the 20-minute simmer, it’s time to add the pasta and beans to give the minestrone its characteristic heartiness. Stir in the uncooked ditalini (or your preferred short, tube-shaped pasta) and the rinsed and drained Great Northern beans. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender to your liking, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. During this time, the pasta will absorb some of the flavorful broth, enriching both its taste and texture.

Phase 6: The Spinach and Final Seasoning

Once the pasta is tender, remove the pot from the heat. This is the perfect moment to stir in the fresh baby spinach. The residual heat from the soup will gently wilt the spinach, preserving its vibrant color and nutritional value. Give the soup a taste test at this point to see if you need any additional salt or pepper. Adjust seasoning as desired to ensure your minestrone is perfectly balanced and flavorful.

Phase 7: The Cheesy Crown and Serving

The crowning glory of this Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone is, of course, the cheese! While the pasta and beans are cooking, take a moment to shred your Asiago cheese. If you shred your own, you’ll often find it has a creamier texture than the pre-shredded varieties, melting beautifully into the hot soup. However, either option will work perfectly.

Once the soup is ready, ladle it into individual bowls. Top each generous serving with about 2 tablespoons of the shredded Asiago cheese. The cheese will immediately begin to melt into the hot soup, creating a gooey, wonderful layer of savory goodness. If you like, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper adds a final touch of zing. Don’t forget to serve this delightful minestrone with some crusty bread – it’s almost a requirement for soaking up every last drop of that flavorful broth!

Customizing Your Cheesy Garden Minestrone

One of the best aspects of minestrone is its versatility. This recipe is wonderfully adaptable to different dietary needs and preferences, allowing you to truly make it your own.

Make it Vegetarian or Vegan

This minestrone can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. Simply swap out the chicken broth for a high-quality vegetable broth. If making it vegan, omit the Asiago cheese or use a plant-based shredded cheese alternative for topping. The rich flavors of the vegetables and herbs ensure it will be just as satisfying.

Gluten-Free Options

For those avoiding gluten, this recipe is easily made gluten-free. Just use a gluten-free ditalini or any other small gluten-free pasta of your choice. Ensure your broth is also certified gluten-free, and you’re good to go! The hearty vegetables and beans will still make this a filling and delicious meal.

Other Vegetable Swaps and Additions

Don’t limit yourself to the suggested vegetables! This is an “end-of-season garden minestrone,” so use what you have. Consider adding:

• Diced bell peppers for extra color and crunch.
• Chopped kale or Swiss chard for more greens.
• Small potato cubes for an even heartier soup.
• Fresh or frozen peas added with the pasta for a pop of sweetness.
• A touch of pesto swirled in at the end for an extra layer of herbaceous flavor.

Serving and Storage Tips

This Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone is best enjoyed fresh, served hot off the stove with that delicious, melting Asiago cheese on top. A side of crusty bread for dipping into the rich broth is highly recommended. For an extra touch, a drizzle of high-quality olive oil before serving can enhance the flavors.

Leftovers: Any leftover minestrone can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The pasta may absorb more liquid and soften further, so you might want to add a splash of extra broth when reheating. The flavors tend to deepen overnight, making it just as enjoyable the next day!

Freezing: Minestrone freezes fairly well, especially if the pasta isn’t overly soft. If you plan to freeze it, you might consider cooking the pasta separately and adding it to individual servings, or undercooking the pasta slightly before adding it to the soup to prevent it from becoming too mushy upon reheating. Freeze in individual portions for easy meal prep. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

This Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone is more than just a recipe; it’s an experience. It’s about savoring the fresh flavors of your garden’s final harvest, creating a comforting meal that warms you from the inside out, and sharing delicious moments with loved ones. Give it a try, and let the rich, cheesy goodness transport you to a cozy, flavorful state of mind.

Print

Cheesy End-Of-Season Garden Minestrone

Capture the vibrant flavors of the summer harvest in one comforting bowl of cheesy goodness. This recipe is easily adaptable to be vegetarian and gluten-free, if desired, making it perfect for everyone.

Servings 8 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

• 2
  tablespoons
  olive oil
• 1
  cup
  chopped onion
  (about 5 ounces)
• 2
  teaspoons
  chopped fresh oregano
• 4
  garlic cloves, minced
• 3
  cups
  yellow squash, chopped
  (about 13 ounces)
• 3
  cups
  zucchini, chopped
  (about 13 ounces)
• 1
  cup
  carrot, thinly sliced
  (about 4.5 ounces)
• 1
  cup
  green beans, trimmed & cut into bite-size pieces
  (about 4.5 ounces)
• 4
  cups
  plum tomatoes, cored & chopped, divided
  (about 22 ounces)
• 1
  (48-ounce) can chicken broth, divided
  (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian option)
• 1
  teaspoon
  kosher salt
• 1/2
  teaspoon
  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2
  cup
  uncooked regular or gluten-free ditalini
  (very short tube-shaped pasta)
• 1
  (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1
  (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 1
  cup
  shredded Asiago cheese
  (4 ounces, for topping)
• coarsely ground black pepper, for garnish
  (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in chopped oregano and minced garlic, and sauté for 1 more minute until fragrant.

2. Stir in yellow squash, zucchini, carrot, and green beans. Cover the pot and allow to simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes or until vegetables are al dente. Remove from heat.

3. Place 3 cups of the chopped plum tomatoes and 1 cup of broth in a blender; process until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender in a high-sided bowl with the same ingredients until smooth. (Remember to use vegetable broth for a vegetarian minestrone).

4. Add the blended tomato mixture to the pot and return to the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of chopped tomatoes and the rest of the broth, along with the kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

5. Add pasta (regular or gluten-free) and rinsed/drained Great Northern beans to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from heat.

6. Stir in the fresh baby spinach until it wilts into the hot soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt & pepper if needed.

7. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with about 2 tablespoons of shredded Asiago cheese. If desired, garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality.

More Delicious Soup Recipes to Enjoy…