On a stormy fall evening, my favorite soup to make is Three Sisters. It’s also a perfect recipe to try if you are new to Native American Cuisine.

The soup celebrates the way many Indigenous Nations cultivated and grew their crops through planting corn, legumes, and squash together to enhance the soil and productivity of agriculture. The corn stalks act as a trellis for the legume plant to climb and the squash is planted in between stalks to shade the ground and prevent weeds. It might be a fun garden project for little ones to try next June 🙂

What I love about this soup is that it’s so versatile. You can change up the squash, add baby potatoes instead of sweet, and top it with a variety of plant-based cheeses (I used Trader Joe’s plant-based feta). I hope you enjoy!

 Three Sisters Soup

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Yield: 8-10 servings             Prep Time: 15 minutes           Cook time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium to small sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 teaspoon chili powder (it taste fine to omit if making for children)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 large bay leaves
32 oz (aprox. 4 cups) Vegetable broth
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini, ends removed and diced
1 medium summer squash, ends removed and diced
3 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed
3.5 cups of pinto beans, drained and rinsed (other legumes work well too)

Serve with:
Chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley)
Lemon wedges
Coarse sea salt
Cheese of your choice

Directions:

1. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the diced onion until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and saute for another minute. Stir constantly.
2. Add the diced sweet potato, chili powder, and cumin. Stir until sweet potato feels a little tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add the minced jalapeno if using and stir for a few seconds more.
3. Add the broth, canned crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves to the pot.
4. Bring to a boil and add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.
5. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Add the zucchini, summer squash, pinto beans, and fresh corn kernels to the pot. Stir, cover, and let soup simmer for a few minutes until squash is tender.
6. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with a pinch of fresh herbs, coarse sea salt, and a side of lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy with family and friends.

* It pairs well with warm corn bread.