This amazing three sisters soup is a nutritious mixture of vegetables that, combined, are so satisfying and filling.
You will fall in love with the flavors of this Three Sisters Soup and will definitely want a big bowlful.
Plus, depending in the season, you can take advantage of the ingredients available in the freezer, canned food, and fresh produce aisles of your grocery store to create this amazing soup.
There is no single authentic recipe for three sisters soup, but all of the variations include the "three sisters," which are corn, beans, and squash.
Origins of Three Sisters Soup:
Three sisters soup or stew is borne of an agricultural technique of companion planting, growing the three crops together.
Corn provides the the climbing "trellis," squash, which grows on the ground, provides the mulch and weed prevention, and beans provide the nitrogen that is needed by the soil.
Plus, eating a combination of the three sisters provides a completely nutritious vegetable dish. Corn needs nitrogen, which beans provide, and the winter squash is super high in vitamin A.
I've seen the soup or stew, as well as the planting method mentioned in reference to the Chikasaw Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokees, and the Iroquois, where corn, beans, and squash show up as part of the creation story and are considered sacred plants.
If you like, you can actually serve the vegetables from this soup as a plated side dish by using a slotted spoon to drain them from the broth. Just call them "braised mixed vegetables."
Ingredients In this Three Sisters Soup:
Most of the ingredients in this soup are native to the Western Hemisphere.
Potatoes - I used petite yellow potatoes, but any potatoes will do.
Chicken stock - if you'd like to stay true to Native American ingredients, use turkey, goose, or duck broth.
Tomatoes - for this soup, I used canned Ro-tel, which is a combination of tomatoes and chiles, both native to the Western Hemisphere.
Corn - you can either use fresh corn or frozen. If you have fresh corn, three to four ears is the right amount. Otherwise, use a 10- to 12-ounce package of frozen corn kernels.
Squash - I used delicata squash for this soup. It doesn't require peeling and is my favorite winter squash. Feel free to substitute butternut, acorn, pumpkin, or any other winter squash. Just be sure to peel it.
If you'd rather try summer squash such as zucchini, add it when you add the corn, not when you add the potatoes.
Beans - I used a combination of black, pinto, and kidney beans. You could also use lima beans or white beans if you prefer.
Jalapeño chiles - chiles are another ingredient that are native to the western hemisphere.
Additional ingredients - olive oil, onion, garlic, and cumin, all ingredients that have Middle Eastern and Meditteranean roots.
This hearty vegetable soup is very easy to make and comes together in less than an hour.
Recipe Variations:
You can turn this soup into a meat-based stew by adding a protein such as venison, bison, lamb, or turkey meat. In fact, after Thanksgiving, I combined some of this leftover soup with leftover turkey meat. It was delicious.
If you prefer, you can also use vegetable stock as a base for those who prefer not to consume meat-based stock.
Leftovers of this soup keep really well in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors seem to meld over time and the soup begins to taste even better.
More Vegetable Soups You May Also Like:
Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup
Welcome to this week's Sunday Funday. We are sharing recipes in honor of Native American Heritage Month:
Three Sisters Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound baby yellow potatoes, washed and quartered
- 1 delicata squash, split in half, seeded, and diced into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 48 ounce box chicken stock
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-tel Original or Mild), undrained
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- Corn kernels from 3-4 ears of corn, or 1 10- to 12- ounce bag frozen corn kernels
- 1 14-ounce can mixed black, pinto, and kidney beans (or one can of beans of your choice) drained and rinsed
- Salt to taste
- Handful of cilantro or parsley leaves for optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook them, stirring regularly, for five minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an addtional minute or two.
- Add the potatoes, squash, chili powder, and ground cumin and cook, stiring for two to three minutes.
- Add the broth and the can of tomatoes and stir. Add the black pepper and minced jalapeño, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are cooked through.
- Add the corn and beans, cover the pot, and simmer for five minutes.
- Taste for salt (I added very little) and serve. Garnish with optional cilantro or parsley.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
197.93Fat (grams)
4.54Sat. Fat (grams)
0.85Carbs (grams)
32.98Fiber (grams)
6.39Net carbs
26.63Sugar (grams)
7.81Protein (grams)
9.02Sodium (milligrams)
260.79Cholesterol (grams)
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This looks delicious, Karen. I can't wait to try your soup recipe.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I was soooo good!
ReplyDelete