Three Sisters Soup

I was thinking about putting a post up this week for Thanksgiving, but it seemed kind of a moot point. I'm sure most people have already figured out there holiday menu and have shopped accordingly. So instead of turkey or cranberry sauce recipes, I decided on a traditional Native American recipe, Three Sisters Soup. Since the premise of Thanksgiving is to be grateful for a bountiful harvest, why not bring a little traditional agriculture to the table. 

The story goes:

The "Three Sisters" garden at the
National Museum of the American Indian.
(Photo by Katherine Fogden)

Three sisters were made by the Creator to help the hungry people, their names were Corn, Squash, and Bean. Corn was the eldest, she grew tall and straight but her feet were burnt everyday from the hot Sun, every year she stood there the ground grew less fertile. Squash saw Corn's plight and offered to lay her large leaves over her feet protecting them from the sun. Corn helped Squash by collecting water in her large leaves and sending it to her sister below. The youngest sister was Bean,  she was the weakest. She was not strong enough to hold herself up, but she had a special talent of nourishing the Earth. Corn offered her strong straight shoots to help Bean face the Sun, and Bean in turn nourished the Earth for both Corn and Squash. 

The moral of the story is that by working together we can live in harmony and prosper. The science of the story is Corn provides structural support for Bean, Bean provides Nitrogen, and Squash keeps the ground moist and deters pests. 

This is my version of the Three Sisters Soup I had out in Arizona.
I hope you enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Three Sisters Soup 

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

1 Cinnamon Stick                         

1 Green Chili chopped

2 Bay leaves

2 cloves Garlic chopped

3 Dried Sage leaves

2 Large Tomatoes diced

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

3 Celery Stalks chopped

1 cup Hominy/Hulled White Corn*

3 Medium Carrots diced

1/2 cup Kidney Beans

1 Medium Butternut Squash, cubed

1/2 cup Anasazi Beans

3 Tblsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

*You can buy Hulled White Corn from Ganondagan: Iroqouis White Corn Project

Prep work: Soak the beans and Hominy/White Corn in water overnight.
Directions:

1. After the beans and hominy have soaked, drain them and place them in a 4 qt pressure cooker with 5 cups of water. Bring to pressure and cook for 4 whistles, approximately 30 minutes.

2. Place olive oil in a deep cast iron skillet and heat over medium. Sauté the onions, garlic, and chili until fragrant, then add cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin and sage. Stir frequently cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the remaining vegetables and tomatoes, and lower the heat.

4. Add the pressure cooked beans and hominy with the liquid to the skillet. Cook covered for 45 minutes or until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*You can buy Hulled White Corn at Ganondagan: Iroqouis White Corn Project

Enjoy!

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