“Three Sisters” Stew
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In Native American mythology, squash, corn, and beans are known as of the “three sisters.” These are the very crops, along with garden vegetables, that the harvest festival of Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate!
Serves: 8 or more
- 1 small sugar pumpkin or 1 large butternut or carnival squash (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into short, narrow strips
- 14- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 2 cups cooked or one 16-ounce can pink, pinto, or black beans
- 2 cups corn kernels (from 2 large or 3 medium ears)
- 1 cup homemade or canned vegetable stock, or water
- 1 or 2 small fresh hot chiles, seeded and minced, or one 4-ounce can
chopped mild green chilies - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove stem from the pumpkin or squash and cut in half lengthwise. Cover with aluminum foil and place the halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife but still firm (if using squash, prepare the same way). When cool enough to handle, scrape out and discard the seeds and fibers; scoop out the flesh, and cut into large dice. Set aside until needed.
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
Add the pumpkin and all the remaining ingredients except the last 2 and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If time allows, let the stew stand for 1 to 2 hours before serving, then heat through as needed. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro. The stew should be thick and very moist but not soupy; add additional stock or water if needed. Serve in shallow bowls.
- Here are more recipes for bean stews and chilies.
- Here are more recipes to enjoy a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving.
- Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.
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Working ahead of time I soaked and cooked my beans for this and then was going to prepare the stew the next day. I then overlooked getting the cooked beans in the refrigerator so they sat in the pot on top of a gas stove all night, meaning more warmth there than if just on the counter. Did I kill them and need to toss them or should they be okay?
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This is a tough call. If it were summer and the beans were in a warm kitchen aside from being on a warm stove, I’d say toss them. But if they taste OK and smell OK, chances are that they are fine. Not much in beans that is too perishable. I hope I’m giving you the right advice!
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Finally got the opportunity to make this last night. I peeled the butternut squash, diced it and then lightly steamed it – this seemed to speed things up a bit. I didn’t have any pinto beans in the house, so used small red beans instead. I have to tell you – this recipes is AMAZING. The whole family devoured this and came back for more. Definitely one of our new favorites. Will make again and again – thank you Nava!! (Looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today!)
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I have been making the recipe for Thanksgiving for the past few years. It has become a tradition now for the holiday in our family. This is just an incredible recipe. I have always made it with butternut squash.
I usually make it the day before I am going to serve it and let it sit on the stove or refrigerate it. If you are serving this to people that are sensitive to spicy food you may want to be be careful on how many chiles you put into it.
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Thanks for the feedback, Pause and NedMan—glad to have helped you start a new tradition!
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I think these recipes are really good. I made one of these recipes for NY class, they really liked it, I was happy. So thanks to all the people who left these recipes. I hope other people enjoy these great dishes.
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Excellent stew. Served with pearled barley & a little Parmesan cheese on top.