Three Sisters-- The Native American Legend and the Soup

 

I have been working with my son and his friend as their Indian Lore Merit Badge Counselor.  To meet on of the requirements, we had to make three Native American dishes. I thought this was a great recipe to try out, not only is it traditional, but it has meaning and it's own legend. The soup was delicious, hearty, and healthy.

The Three Sisters - A Native American Legend

A long time ago there were three sisters who lived together in a field. These sisters were quite different from one another in their size and way of dressing. The little sister was so young that she could only crawl at first, and she was dressed in green.
The second sister wore a bright yellow dress, and she had a way of running off by herself when the sun shone and the soft wind blew in her face.
The third was the eldest sister, standing always very straight and tall above the other sisters and trying to protect them. She wore a light green shawl, and she had long, yellow hair that tossed about her head in the breeze.
There was one way the sisters were all alike, though. They loved each other dearly, and they always stayed together. This made them very strong.
One day a stranger came to the field of the Three Sisters - a Mohawk boy. He talked to the birds and other animals - this caught the attention of the three sisters.
Late that summer, the youngest and smallest sister disappeared. Her sisters were sad.
Again the Mohawk boy came to the field to gather reeds at the water's edge. The two sisters who were left watched his moccasin trail, and that night the second sister - the one in the yellow dress - disappeared as well.
Now the Elder Sister was the only one left.
She continued to stand tall in her field. When the Mohawk boy saw that she missed her sisters, he brought them all back together and they became stronger together, again.

Three Sisters Soup Recipe

"Three sisters" refers to the wonderful combination of beans, corn and squash—foods traditionally grown and consumed together by many American Indian tribes.

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 cup dried pinto (or other) beans, soaked overnight in 4 cups water
1 acorn squash
1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 onion, diced
Pinch sea salt
1 large carrot, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery, diced
3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse soaked beans. Put them in a pot and cover with water by an inch. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Add more water if necessary.

2. While beans are cooking, cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Bake squash halves, cut side up, in a 375-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender.

3. Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes.

4. Add carrot, garlic and celery, and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 5 to 10 minutes.

5. In the meantime, scoop cooked squash out of shell. Add squash to onion mixture and mix well, smoothing out any large lumps. Rinse and drain cooked beans.

6. Add stock and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and add beans, corn and thyme. Simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot with crusty bread.