Three Sisters Stew Recipe (2024)

Three sisters so-called because Native Americans interplanted corn, beans and squash in the same mound. The 3 thrive together because corn provides a natural pole for the beans to climb, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and the squash leaves shade the ground to prevent the growth of weeds.

Use 1 cup of Hatch,NM green Roasted Chiles.
Cut down on the broth to 2 cups makes this dish less soupy.
Treat the butternut squash as a replacement for the pork - that is, treat it just as described in step 1. I did that, and used vegetable stock, and this turned out delicious! The vegetarian version might even be better than the original, as the butternut squash seems more harmonious with the dish than meat does.

I made this yesterday in my slowcooker: I browned the meat in my skillet, then browned the onions & garlic in the leftover fat in the pan and added a 14.5 oz can of tomatoes to deglaze. Then I put all the ingredients (except the yellow squash) into my slowcooker and cooked on low for 6 hours. When I got home, I put in a whole container of cubed butternut squash in the cooker and turned it on high for about 45-60 minutes. SO so good. Everyone loved it.

I also used butternut squash, doubled the garlic, and added a jalapeño with the onions. Definitely needs a little more heat (I did use double the cumin). Next time I think I'll try the Rotel Tomatoes . Everyone loved the combination and I been asked for the recipe, always a good sign.

I got some advice direct from NYT to treat the butternut squash as a replacement for the pork - that is, treat it just as described in step 1. I did that, and used vegetable stock, and this turned out delicious! I think the vegetarian version might even be better than the original, as the butternut squash seems more harmonious with the dish than meat does. I will be making this again.

A big hit for our annual Southwestern night, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Made it with 1 # butternut squash, seasoned and caramelized ala pork, omitted pork and yellow squash, used all black beans (2 cans, drained and rinsed). Served with Mexican crema, queso fresco, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and shredded cabbage for garnishes. Think it would also be great with hominy instead of (or in addition to) the corn. Delicious!

Try adding wild rice, or a brown rice / wild rice combo. Makes it quite thick, kind of gumbo like. The textures are fabulous.

Enjoyed the stew but found it somewhat bland, specifically, the flavors of the cumin and chiles were lost. Next time I will try seasoning the pork with more than one teaspoon of cumin, or add a bit of cumin to the onions and garlic as they saute, and will increase the amount of chiles.

I make this stew with turkey thighs( whole or cut into chunks) all year round. I've also made it with turkey meatballs, simmering in the stew, serving this as a one-dish meal. Cutting down on the broth to 2 cups makes this dish less soupy.
Instead of using a can of roasted chiles, I add 1 or two pasilla chiles, cut into 1/3 x 1 1/2 inch strips.
A heartwarming main course dish when served with corn bread for dipping.

Made this vegetarian by roasting a pound of butternut squash tossed with the cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes and then stirring it in at the end of cooking the other ingredients with the cilantro. Also added about a half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. So good! Perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer.

Made this 12 times+ and it is demolished by our team at work for two meals. We go vegetarian but sometimes I will fry and cube a Niman Ranch ham steak on the side for the meateaters. The corn is too sweet so 1/4 cup is enough. Red-chili flakes in the onion saute and the finished soup will get 3-4 fresh Thai minced chilies along with the cilantro. Always more beans. We used green and yellow zucchini after seeding the guts over the summer. For winter we will use butternut. Good base recipe.

Mashing a few of the beans would help to thicken it.

I would add the yellow squash during the last 40 minutes of simmering as it was too soft for my taste. The beans and corn I would add the last 10-15 minutes as I like more texture. It did thicken up nicely. It is delicious and I will cook it again with these modifications.

Did it in a slow cooker. Used some top round, browned, that I was going to make into stew anyway. Omitted tomatoes due to allergy, used fresh soaked black and kidney beans and water, not broth. Also added the cubed butternut squash. Let it cook all day, and it was delicious. The whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Everyone loved it, and I'll make it again.

Really good! I made the vegetarian version with butternut squash that a reader suggested. Added some chili powder and more cumin, topped with a bit of shredded cheese. Nice variation on chili.

Can anyone advise what 1 medium squash is? I’m Australian - we call squash butternut pumpkin. But they vary wildly in size, no idea what a medium one is.

This is a sensational vegan/vegetarian /plant-based stew. Just omit the pork and its steps (faster prep, too!) and substitute with vegetable stock. I make this recipe often because everyone I serve it to raves about it. It is so flavorful and hearty. Freezes great also. Consider adding chickpeas for even more nutrition as a meal in itself.

This is a sensational vegan/vegetarian /plant-based stew. Just omit the pork and its steps and substitute with vegetable stock. I make this recipe often because everyone I serve it to raves about it. It is so flavorful and hearty. Freezes great also. Consider adding chickpeas for even more nutrition as a meal in itself.

A hit with the family. Will make it again. The only modifications were no garlic (no garlic family) Out of cumin, so used garam masala and chili powder instead. Also, instead of one can of beans I used potato.

I made it exactly as written the first time and it was delicious. The second time I sautéed the pork and onion together and added the tomatoes earlier. I substituted roasted butternut squash cubs for the yellow squash, adding it with the beans and corn, I think it was even better the second time with these modifications.

I agree with others that the squash should be added later, otherwise it gets too soft. The flavors and basic ingredient ratios in this dish are good, but it’s a bit bland for our family’s tastes. I added more cumin, as recommended, and would add some oregano and maybe a bit of thyme next time. Chili powder would also be a good addition, but then the stew would end up being Chili, not Three Sisters Stew.

I added additional 1 teasp cumin, 1 teasp chili powder and 1 teasp oregano with garlic saute. Also added 1-2 Tablspn molasses and lemon juice towards end and thickened a bit with some flour dissolved in more broth. I reduced original broth to 2-3 cups. Do need to be careful squash doesn't overcook. Served to guests for lunch with cornbread yeast rolls -- got rave reviews. Will definitely make again.

I use store-bought carnitas or plain pulled/smoked pork instead of pork loin. I find pork loin texture too dry, and I’m not going to spend the extra money on kurobuta or Berkshire for a stew. I like how the shredded pork dissolves into the stew. This stew pleases everyone in the family, and it is easy to customize for personal tastes via toppings. I’ve also used up “undesirable” frozen zucchini in this stew; it’s highly adaptable.

Absolutely delicious. I've been looking for recipes for pork loin that isn't just in 'pork chop' format, and this is great! I used a can of sliced jalapenos instead of the roasted green chilies. This recipe is probably quite forgiving in terms of substitutions.

I used twice the amount of cumin. Also I chopped up a tablespoon of hot green chilies to add to the canned chilies. I used 3 1/2 cups of broth which was plenty.

I pretty much followed the recipe, except added two additional cloves of garlic, and found it bland. I hope it develops more flavor overnight.

We substituted butternut squash in step 1. It was delicious. The butternut was a little too mushy, but it broke down a bit and thickened the stew, which we didn't mind! We also added a couple of celery stalks and extra garlic. We will definitely be making it again!

Very good & very easy. A few modifications to use what was on hand: crushed tomatoes instead of diced; Trader Joe's tomatillo salsa instead of canned roasted green chiles; an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (will use even more next time); about 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder. Used butternut squash & cut it in 1/3-1/2" dice (but perhaps will cut larger dice next time). I used 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth - would cut to 2 or 3 cups and add another 1/2 pound of pork for a thicker meatier stew.

Made this tonight, exactly as written (OK, OK, I used a tbsp of that squeeze cilantro paste instead of buying an entire bunch of fresh cilantro, only to have to chuck the other half of it next week when it liquefies in the fridge).This is absolutely amazing! Thick, hearty, filling, piping hot, seasonal, PACKED with flavor, and easy to make... the total package. A complete pick-me-up during the ugliest, darkest month of the year. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! ❤️