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Home recipes Garden Recipes

Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup

6 hours 10 minutes
butternut squashcorngarlicgreen beanspotato
Posted:2/10/22
Updated:5/4/22
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Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup is a warm and healthy soup featuring garden-fresh ingredients. Based on the three sisters planting method, you’ll need a simple mix of squash, corn, and beans.

three sisters soup in white bowl in front of slow cooker.

Three sisters soup in the crockpot

This Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup recipe is warm, cozy, and comforting. It’s an authentic Indigenous recipe that’s based on the three sisters planting method and features 3 key ingredients:

  1. Squash
  2. Beans
  3. Corn

Because these crops flourish during the end of summer and fall, this recipe is the perfect comfort food to enjoy once the cold weather arrives. All 3 are delicious and nourishing too!

green beans, hominy and butternut squash on table.

These 3 crops are grown together in many North American Indigenous tribes to benefit the soil, as well as promote productivity and sustainable land use. Not only does this recipe provide a learning opportunity, but it makes for a delicious family meal that can be prepared ahead of time or stored for later. 

Who are the Three Sisters?

The Three Sisters refers to the 3 crops used in authentic North American Indigenous agriculture: winter squash, maize (corn), and beans. These crops are traditionally grown together in the garden (also referred to as companion planting) because they complement each other so well. 

According to Yes Magazine, the beans provide nitrogen to help fertilize the soil while the cornstalks act as trellises for the growing beans. The large, flat squash leaves maintain moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from growing.

Ingredients in three sisters soup

The Three Sisters are all nutritionally dense, containing essential amino acids, fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. To round out the flavors in this vegetable soup, you’ll need a handful of simple ingredients: 

  • Butternut squash
  • White hominy
  • Green beans
  • Potatoes
  • Chicken broth
  • Garlic
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Butter
  • All purpose flour

How to make three sisters soup in the slow cooker

This is an easy slow cooker soup recipe that, when done, is healthy, comforting, and full of tender veggies. Here’s how it’s done:

Add the butternut squash, hominy, green beans, broth, garlic, pepper, and cinnamon to the bowl of a slow cooker.

raw ingredients in slow cooker.

Place the lid on top and cook on LOW.

broth and ingredients mixed in slow cooker.

When the soup is just about ready, stir the melted butter and flour together in a small bowl. Pour it into the soup, stir, and cook for 5 more minutes.

flour and butter mixed in a small bowl.

When the vegetable soup has thickened up, serve in bowls and enjoy!

three sisters soup served in bowl.

Stovetop instructions

  1. Place all of the ingredients except the butter and flour into a large pot over medium high heat. 
  2. Bring it up to a boil and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft. 
  3. Stir the melted butter and flour together in a small bowl. Pour it into the pot and stir.
  4. Let the soup cook for 5 more minutes, then serve.

Tips and variations

  • If you can’t find hominy – Hominy is commonly found in the beans section with Goya products. If you can’t find hominy, use fresh or frozen corn instead.
  • Green beans – This recipe will work with any type of cooked bean you like. Feel free to replace the green beans with kidney beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, Great Northern beans, etc.
  • Use canned beans – Dry beans won’t cook fully in the slow cooker. Pre-cooked or canned beans are best.
  • Winter squash – You can make this three sisters soup recipe with any winter squash you love, such as pumpkin, acorn squash, or delicata squash.
  • Add more vegetables – Like carrots, peas, zucchini, celery, leafy greens, or anything else you like.
  • Don’t want to use chicken broth? Use vegetable broth to turn this into a vegetarian soup.
vegetables and broth in slow cooker.

Making ahead and storing

To make ahead: Make the soup as normal and let it cool. Transfer it into airtight containers and store in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, let the batch warm up in the slow cooker, in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave.

To store: Keep any leftover soup in an airtight container. Store them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

To freeze: The soup freezes well for about 3 months. Keep the cooked and cooled leftovers in airtight containers or freezer-safe bags to keep everything tasting fresh. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stove or microwave.

Looking for more comforting fall recipes??

  • Roasted Cauliflower Soup
  • Cabbage Soup
  • Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
  • Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
  • Easy Delicata Squash

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Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup is an Indigenous recipe featuring garden-fresh ingredients. Based on the three sisters planting method, you’ll need a simple mix of squash, corn, and beans to make this warm and comforting soup.
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup

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Slow Cooker Three Sisters Soup is a warm and healthy soup featuring garden-fresh ingredients. Based on the three sisters planting method, you’ll need a simple mix of squash, corn, and beans.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
serves 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 15 oz can white hominy
  • 2 cups green beans ends trimmed and cut into thirds
  • 2 cups potatoes peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Add butternut squash, hominy, green beans, potatoes, chicken broth, garlic, salt, pepper and cinnamon to slow cooker.
  • Close lid and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. I check the potatoes at 7 hours and if they're done, move on to the next step. If a fork can't easily slide through them, cook for another hour, or until potatoes are soft.
  • Mix butter and flour together in a small bowl, and then add to slow cooker and stir. Cook for 5 more minutes to thicken the soup.
  • Serve in bowls and enjoy! I like to add a little bit of parmesan cheese on top of mine!

Video:

Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:three sisters soup
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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