Slow Cooker Mayflower Bean 3 Sisters Soup

This early harvest soup is perfect for when the days are still warm and the nights are cool but you have an abundance of corn and zucchini in the garden. When I was a kid September was time to go back to school and also time to help my mother pull zucchini and corn out of the garden to be "put up." Freezing and canning were things that people who lived in the country like us did at the end of every summer and we always made dinner from the garden's fresh harvest. Before you know it the we'll be deep into root vegetables and fondly remembering the days of fresh zucchini and corn. If you don't have any fresh corn you can use frozen and if the zucchini is gone you can opt for another kind of squash.

COOKING THE THREE SISTERS

The three sisters play a very important roll in Native American culture and foodways. Corn, beans and squash have been planted together and cooked together since ancient times. The beans are planted at the base of the corn, providing a natural trellis, the squash is planted around the corn and beans and the spiny leaves provide protection against predators. The beans in turn give nitrogen back to the soil for her sisters.  

Almost every Native American Nation seems to have its own myths and legends surrounding the three sisters. In each story they are central to our spiritual connection to the earth. Learn more about the Three Sisters legends on our BLOG.

HIERLOM MAYFLOWER BEANS

It is said that the Mayflower arrived in the US in the 1620s, bringing with it the Mayflower bean. More accurately though, the Mayflower bean was returned to its ancestral lands by the pilgrims. An ingredient in the Slow Food Ark of Taste, the Mayflower has square shaped beans that are a beautiful creamy color with dark purple or red speckles. Like all Phaseolus vulgaris,the Mayflower would have originated in the new world, descended from beans cultivated thousands of years ago in Peru. After colonists re-introduced the Mayflower to the Americas, the bean was widely circulated among the colonists of the Carolina region of the country. The Mayflower plant has short pods that hold the small, square shaped beans. The beans are a beautiful creamy color with dark-red speckles. 

COOKING TIP: CORN STOCK

You can easily buy corn stock from PlantStrong but if you've growning or buying corn on the cob, you can make delicious broth from what you might otherwise throw away. This broth freezes very well so that you can enjoy plant-based broth that tastes like summer all winter long.

To make a rich and flavorful corn stock, start by collecting the cobs left over from fresh corn on the cob. Place the cobs in a large pot and cover them with water, ensuring they’re fully submerged. Add aromatics like chopped onions, garlic, a bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme to enhance the flavour. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour, allowing the cobs to infuse the water with their natural sweetness. Once done, strain the stock through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. Your homemade corn stock is now ready to use in soups, stews, or risottos, adding a delicate sweetness to your dishes.

COOKING TIPS: STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

This doesn't have to be done in the slow cooker, it's just very convenient on days where it's still pretty warm in the kitchen during the day and you might be out in the garden doing chores before the frost hits. 

In the bottom of a dutch oven sauté the onion until translucent. Rinse and pick through the beans and add to the pot with the carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, kombu, salt and stock. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until the beans are soft (about 90 minutes). Remove and discard the thyme stems, bay leaves and kombu. Don't worry if the kombu breaks apart, just stir it in. Remove about a cup of the beans and stock and put in a blender. Blend on high and return the pureed mixture back to the pot. This makes the soup thicker and more creamy without adding dairy. Add the zucchini and corn and simmer for another 30 minutes until the zucchini is soft and fully cooked.