Three Sisters Bowl With Hominy, Beans and Squash Recipe (2024)

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Marmylady

Most hominy that is easily available is already cooked and canned. Can this be a substitute, or is there a source for obtaining the dried?

Megan

Through The Sioux Chef's website there are several links to Indigenous partners:https://sioux-chef.com/community/http://store.ramonafarms.com

Leek

Our grocery stores have the dried hominy near dried whole chilies and other “Mexican” identified ingredients. Rancho Gordo (among others) sell it on line.

Casey Huling

Rancho Gordo sells both kinds of the tepary beans as well as dried hominy. It is an extra step for sure, but it seems worth the effort.

Sheila

I made this & especially like the texture contrast between tender squash, dense tepary beans & chewy hominy. I used ground chipotle instead of Hatch chile powder. I used double the 1/2 cup of greens and would like more. This dish needs a good bit of salt, more than the 2 pinches specified. I recommend tasting the simmering broth and adding smoked sea salt to get a very well seasoned broth before adding the hominy, beans & squash as you don't want to mash the squash trying to season at the end.

Silverdust

Dried hominy (posole) has a much better flavor and texture than canned. A reliable online source is Rancho Gordo.

Tonia M.

Native Harvest (business name of the White Earth community), sells hand-harvested wild rice, dried hominy, all kinds of wild berry preserves and more. https://nativeharvest.com/

dona

Kalustyan's at 123 Lexington Ave in NYC sells Brown/White and Black Tepary Beans as well as dried Hominy( white and blue already processed with Lime). and canned white and yellow hominy.

Rebecca Goodsell

Making the hominy from scratch made all the difference. I will never go back to the canned stuff.

L Gutierrez

I made this the other night and think it would be better if the squash was peeled. I didn't have the tepary beans, so I substituted with pintos and it was fine. When I make it again i'll peel the squash.

Moe

Tepary beans are also known as moth dal at Indian groceries

Ginger Travis

Marmalady, I was in New Mexico last month and bought dried hominy there, also New Mexican ground chile -- oh, and Anasazi beans. I recommend you tryy Googling mail order sources for hominy -- Made in New Mexico is one possibility. Finally, specialty food stores, even in the East, sometimes offer dried hominy. Good luck!

Heather H

Made this tonight and it was excellent. I had ordered Tepary beans from Ramona Farms but did not have hominy, so I used frozen corn. I did not peel the squash but the next time I cook this wonderful dish, I will peel the squash. I had fresh sage from my garden and fresh cilantro, so used that instead of dandelion greens. I used 1/2 tsp salt in the beans and then salted the squash before roasting. Also added about another 1/2 tsp to the broth as it was simmering.

kahyatonhsera

You can buy dried hulled white corn here: https://ganondagan.org/whitecorn/shop. Far as I know, they still make it traditionally, using hardwood ash to lye it. This lends a subtle but distinctive smoky flavor you can’t get from what comes out of a can. BTW, this dried corn is still the instant version. Doing it from scratch requires growing the right heirloom variety, drying, smoking, sifting ash, boiling, stirring, rinsing, rinsing some more, then cooking or parching. Slow food.

jaykay

Came out rather bland. Used butternut squash, cut it in half, baked it and cut it into pieces and cut off the skin. Added more chili and jalapenos to give it more flavor. Would use chicken broth in the future to give it more flavor. Also found out the hard way that dried hominy has not been treated with calcium hydroxide. Had to go to a mexican grocery to obtain "cal mex" to loosen and dissolve the outer covering of the dried corn before trying to cook it.

Sonja

I've made this twice. The first time I made it with really fresh, organic acorn squash. I assume it was fresh because it was very easy to cut and the skin seemed thin. Leaving on the skin was an awesome textural component and I highly recommend it. The second time I made it, I used what I assume is older acorn squash. It was much harder to cut and make for a tough final product. Otherwise, make sure you use fresh sage. Wonderful, craveable, filling, vegan, and memorable.

Christine

I was a bit worried as I prepared this for dinner yesterday because it didn’t smell all that appetizing. But once it was complete, it was a very tasty dish. It made for a very filling yet virtuous main dish. I increased both the chile and the spinach. I used unpeeled red kuri squash which was both gorgeous and tasty. The flavor and texture of tepary beans resembles dried black eyed peas. I’ll serve this next year along with the Thanksgiving turkey.

Dianna

A little tasteless. Add stuff. I had a whole dried chili pepper besides the chili powder, but I think I might add some Mexican red or green sauce next time. But then again, I am not a squash fan so I am probably not the best judge of this recipe. We grew our own hominy and beans. They were good and made it more fun. You have to nixtamalize the hominy before cooking if you decide to grow some in your garden.

Carrie

Used Rancho Gordo dried white hominy soaked overnight then pressure cooked on High for 55 minutes in Instant Pot and Rancho Gordo Buckeye beans soaked overnight and pressure cooked for 12 minutes in IP. So good!

Carrie

So flavorful and filling! Made it as is subbing ground chipotle peppers for the chile powder.Also made a quick version using leftover hominy, beans and squash: heated the sunflower oil in a pan then added 1 T onion powder, 8 leaves of crumbled dried sage along with the chipotle powder and salt. Cooked for 30 seconds until fragrant and then added the beans, hominy and squash and cooked until they were warm.

Donna

This recipe was a big success in my kitchen. I substituted using canned cannellini beans and fresh corn cut from the cob. Also used Swiss chard from the garden. Everyone had seconds. I will make it again.

HomeCook

I pre-made most of this the day before: tepary beans in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes on high pressure; hominy soaked for 8 hours then into the Instant Pot for 40 minutes on high pressure; and acorn squash whole roasted with only a few slits here and there (timing depends on size of squash, probably 30ish minutes). I reserved the cooking liquids from the beans and hominy, diced up the squash, and stored everything away. The next day, I started on step 4, and it was fantastic.

Gloria Rohmann

Pretty bland after all that work. I peeled the squash (why leave on the skin?). Rancho Gordo for dried hominy and a wonderland of beans.

Aimee

Delicious and filling! I substituted canned hominy and canned white beans since it is what I had access to. I will definitely be making this again!

Kiki

This was SO DELICIOUS!! Definitely going in my "keeper" box. I used canned hominy in this & then dried red beans which I made in my slow cooker overnight. I was skeptical about adding the maple syrup, but do it--it deepens the flavor and adds a really interesting layer that amplifies the smoked salt and richness of the beans & hominy. I doubled the recipe, so we've been enjoying the leftovers in tacos & breakfast burritos also!

Catalina

I didn't have the three main ingredients, but this recipe served as inspiration for a breakfast dish with black beans, fresh corn and sweet potato. Cilantro instead of sage, and ancho chile powder instead of Hatch chile powder. Still a tasty and colorful dish! If you get to Minneapolis, don't miss eating at Sean Sherman's restaurant, Owamni by the Sioux Chef. Reservations required since they received the James Beard award for best new restaurant in 2022.

Native Mothers take!

This recipe reminded me of one that my Cherokee mother and grandmother taught me, but I added my own spin. I roasted turnips, acorn squash, and sweet potato. I roasted the vegetables with sunflower oil, sage, and kosher salt and Raw Honey to coat. I saved the seeds from the acorn squash and roasted them with a touch of salt, honey, sunflower oil, and pumpkin vinegar. Anasazi Beans and hominy tossed with roasted vegetables and kale. following most of the steps in succession.

stacey

I made this for Thanksgiving in a nod to the Indigenous people who might have been present at the first one. Didn’t let perfect be the enemy of the good here. I used a butternut squash, subbed navy beans, and used canned hominy and it was good. Look forward to seeing how great it can be by planning a little better next time and using tepary beans and dried hominy.

sfurstenberg

This was delicious. Though it was a bit labor intensive due to separate cooking steps for the hominy, tepary beans, and squash, it was well worth the effort. I made this as a vegetarian Thanksgiving main course, but meat eaters treated it as a substitute for mashed potatoes and loved it. I decided to order the specific ingredients (Tepary beans from Ramona Farms and pozole/hominy and New Mexico chiles from Racho Gordo) rather than subbing, and it was great to try a new (to me) bean.

Mark

Made this for a potluck and everyone loved it. The flavors are so delicious - earthy, rich, a little herbal and a barely a wisp of heat and smoke. I made some substitutions for convenience: used dried pinto beans and also used cubed, peeled butternut squash which I added to the stew and cooked until it was tender. I didn't have smoked salt so I used a little bit of smoked sweet Spanish paprika for a hint of smokiness. This recipe is a keeper.

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Three Sisters Bowl With Hominy, Beans and Squash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Where did the idea to refer to corns beans and squash as the Three Sisters come from? ›

The Iroquois and the Cherokee called corn, bean, and squash the three sisters' because they nurture each other like family when planted together. These agriculturalists placed corn in small hills planting beans around them and interspersing squash throughout of the field.

What is the legend of the Three Sisters corn beans and squash? ›

Sky Woman buried her daughter in the “new earth.” From her grave grew three sacred plants—corn, beans, and squash. These plants provided food for her sons, and later, for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people.

Where did the Three Sisters soup come from? ›

The Iroquois Indians cultivated and used the Three Sisters (corn, squash and beans) in their diet. This is a recipe passed down by our relatives. You may use regular corn instead of hominy, but hominy is more traditional.

What are the Three Sisters indigenous cuisine? ›

In a number of Indigenous communities, corn, squash and bean are called the "Three Sisters." When planted side by side, these three crops help each other during growth, resulting in better yields at harvest.

Does the three sisters method work? ›

Instead of planting single rows of a single vegetable, this method of interplanting introduced biodiversity, which does many things—from attracting pollinators to making the land richer instead of stripping it of nutrients.

What is the myth of the three sisters? ›

The legend of “Three Sisters” originated when a woman of medicine who could no longer bear the fighting among her three daughters asked the Creator to help her find a way to get them to stop. That night she had a dream, and in it each sister was a different seed.

Why are the three sisters so special? ›

The Three Sisters play an important part in Aboriginal history and, according to legend, were once three beautiful sisters called Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo. The sisters fell in love with three brothers in the neighbouring tribe– something that was forbidden under tribal law.

What are the best beans for Three Sisters? ›

The bean variety should not be a bush bean but rather a climbing type also called pole beans. Non-vigorous climbers and bushy-pole types are best so that they do not take over the corn plants. Lima, runner, and common bean types do best.

What does the legend of the three sisters teach us? ›

Each of these crops does better when planted together than when planted on their own. They each contribute a different characteristics that helps all three of them grow and be strong. The Three Sisters teaches us: Everyone has something to offer.

What kind of beans are in 3 sisters? ›

The Three Sisters (Spanish: tres hermanas) are the three main agricultural crops of various indigenous peoples of Central and North America: squash, maize ("corn"), and climbing beans (typically tepary beans or common beans).

What soup did the Cherokee eat? ›

A rich and creamy nut soup of Cherokee origin, kanuchi has few ingredients but a world of deep nutty flavor.

What is the history of the three sisters? ›

Aboriginal legend

The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters, Wimalah, Meeni, and Gunedoo, lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. They fell in love with three men from the neighbouring Nepean tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law.

Is the Three Sisters method still used today? ›

In the Southwest, the Three Sisters farming method is not widely used today.

Why are corn beans and squash called the Three Sisters? ›

The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or Our Sustainers. The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of green corn on the cob.

How to make the Three Sisters? ›

The Three Sisters planting method, commonly known as companion planting, entails growing corn, beans, and squash together in a mutually beneficial arrangement. It originated in North America around 3000 years ago.

Where did the three sisters originate? ›

The Three Sisters planting method, commonly known as companion planting, entails growing corn, beans, and squash together in a mutually beneficial arrangement. It originated in North America around 3000 years ago.

What is the story behind the three sisters? ›

The Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni', 'Wimlah' and 'Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. These beautiful young ladies had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.

Where did Anasazi crops such as corn beans and squash originally come from? ›

The Anasazi are believed to have begun farming around 100 BCE. Various types of domesticated plants from Mexico such as corn, squash, and beans had been introduced around 200 BCE. The Anasazi were dry farmers who relied on unpredictable rainfall for growing crops.

What are the three sisters of beans? ›

The Three Sisters (Spanish: tres hermanas) are the three main agricultural crops of various indigenous peoples of Central and North America: squash, maize ("corn"), and climbing beans (typically tepary beans or common beans).

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