Three Sisters Soup

Three Sisters Soup 

Three Sisters Soup is so named because of the combination of corn, beans, and pumpkin.  Native Americans planted these three crops together.  Corn drains nutrients from the soil, legumes (the beans) put nutrients back into the soil and grow up the corn stalks, and the pumpkin vines create a ground cover, reducing the need for water and weeding.

This is a fantastic stick-to-your-ribs soup.  It’s thick and hearty. It combines grains and beans, which increase the useable protein in the dish. With a chunk of crusty bread, and a tossed salad, it’s a complete meal, really high in nutrients.

 

Powdered Pumpkin Puree 

I used pumpkin puree dehydrated into 1/4 cup plops. In order to make it easier to use, I ground my puree into powder. I found that 1/2 tbsp of the powder equals 1/4 cup of pumpkin.

Recipe Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree powder
• 1 ½ tbsp crushed dehydrated onion
• 1/32 tsp chili powder (a dash, or to taste)
• 3 tbsp cooked dehydrated lima beans
• 3 tbsp cooked dehydrated whole kernel corn
• 2 tbsp cooked dehydrated rice (you can substitute any dehydrated cooked barley or grain)
• ½ tbsp dehydrated bell pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add Fresh Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water

Linda’s Note: I happened to have some canned chicken stock that Mike bought, so I opened one can.  As I cooked the soup, I found it got excessively thick, so I added more water.  This was necessary because the lima beans took longer than anything else to rehydrate.  You can automatically add a total of 3 ½ cups of chicken stock or a combination of stock and water, or simply water if stock isn’t available.

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to chicken stock
• Simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until lima beans are tender
• If it gets too thick, add a bit of water and continue cooking

What to do with Three Sisters Soup:

• Use your pumpkin puree for something other than the ubiquitous pumpkin pie.
• Serve in cold weather for a great meal with bread and salad.
• Dress it up with a  dollop of yogurt, sour cream or cream cheese on top.
• Perfect for thermos bottle cooking. See my post on MRE’s: Thermos Bottle Cookery for instructions on how to do this.
• You can substitute just about any winter squash for pumpkin for this recipe.