A Taste of Traditional Native Foods: Three Sisters Bean Stew

As the winter cold sets in, we’re excited to share a recipe rooted in Native American traditional foods —the Three Sisters Bean Stew. There’s nothing quite like a hot, nourishing stew to warm us from the inside out. And here at Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), we cherish these comforting dishes and honor their cultural significance.

Did you know that the “three sisters” – corn, beans and squash – are staple foods in many traditional Native diets? In fact, they are celebrated for their ability to thrive together because each plant aids the others’ growth. What’s more, ancestral foods like the three sisters supported healthy eating before diabetes existed among the tribes.

Three Sisters Bean Stew Recipe

Beyond that, food is medicine in Native cultures, meaning this stew is more than just a meal. In other words, there’s a physical, mental, and spiritual connection to food. And certain foods are even a traditional part of ceremonies like the Bean Dance – a rite of passage for Hopi children who are coming of age.

For a comforting vegetarian dinner, Diné Chef Freddie J. Bitsoie recommends serving this heartwarming stew with grilled or roasted meats or spooned over wild rice. For those who enjoy a bit of spice, consider adding roasted chiles to enhance the flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 stalk celery, finely diced
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans
• 1 cup cooked cannellini beans
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, carrot and celery. Then, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent (about five minutes).
3. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and stock. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until the stock thickens.
4. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving. [ Recipe Copyright Chef Freddie Bitsoie. All rights reserved. Recipe reprinted with permission. ]

About Chef Freddie Bitsoie

Chef Bitsoie formerly served as the executive chef for the Mitsitam Native Foods Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Learn more about Chef Freddie Bitsoie on Facebook. On Amazon, you can also pick up a copy of his “New Native Kitchen” recipe book, co-authored with James Beard Award-winning author James O. Fraioli.

Beyond the Recipe

The recipe shared today plays a part in a larger story of heritage and health that PWNA is proud to support through our Nutrition Train-the-Trainer (T3) service. Through T3, participants learn from Native chefs how to prepare nutritious meals, usually locally available or ancestral foods, and gain the skills to train others in their communities. This fosters a new generation that understands not only healthy eating but the link between food and culture.

As we close out the year, it’s a good time to reflect on how Native ways have influenced our society. For instance, did you try out any Native American dishes this Thanksgiving?