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–+ servings
three sisters beans stew next to a pan of einkorn cornbread

Three Sisters Bean Stew Recipe

Kristin
This Three Sisters Bean Stew Recipe is hearty, healthy, & rich with meaning. This is one tasty dish and there's plenty of knowledge to soak up in addition to delicious broth. Also, explore topics such as dried beans vs canned & how to cook dried kidney beans.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Soaking Time 6 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Native American
Servings 6 people
Calories 243 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 carrot
  • ½ stalk celery
  • salt
  • pepper
  • water
  • 1 cup kidney beans cooked
  • 1 cup cannellini beans cooked
  • 1 cup black beans cooked
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable or broth

Instructions 

  • Soak the Kidney Beans for 6 Hours: Wash your hands with soap and water. Weigh the kidney beans needed using a kitchen scale. Place the kidney beans in a mason jar or bowl and add enough water to cover the beans. Next, add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Check periodically to make sure all of the beans are submerged.
  • Drain the Water: Wash your hands before returning to the kidney beans. Pour the contents of the mason jar into a colander to drain the water.
  • Weigh the Cannellini Beans using the kitchen scale. Introduce or review any conversions as needed. Many kitchen scales include conversions kids can explore as they cook. To extend the learning, compare the value on a labeled jar to the weight of the beans using the kitchen scale.
  • Rinse the beans with water.
  • Transfer the Kidney Beans & Cannellini Beans to a Pot half-filled with water.
  • Add salt to the pot.
  • Cook the Beans: Turn the stove on high. Bring the beans to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the stove down to low and simmer. Place the cover on the pot. Cook for 45 minutes. This is a great time to explore the cookbook a bit further. Our kids enjoy the pictures and read more about Hopi culture before moving on to practicing their knife skills.
  • Chop the Vegetables: If you're using canned beans for this three sisters bean stew recipe, you can start here and then skip to step 11 to finish the recipe.
    Chop the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Now is also a great time to dice the tomatoes if they're not already. Place the tomatoes in a separate bowl.
  • Repeat Steps 3-5 for the Black Beans: Once the kidney and cannellini beans have cooked for 45 minutes, it's time to work with the black beans.
    Weigh, rinse, and transfer the black beans to the large pot containing the kidney beans and cannellini beans. Cook all three varieties of beans together for 45 minutes or until tender.
    So that's a total cook time of 90 minutes for the kidney beans and cannellini beans.
  • Drain the water: Pour the contents of the pot into a colander to drain the water.
  • Add Avocado Oil to the Pot: Change the temperature of the stove to medium. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, proceed to the next step.
  • Add the Chopped Vegetables: Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, carrot, and celery to the pot.
  • Add Seasoning to the Pot: Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the Beans, Tomatoes, & Chicken Stock to the Pot.
  • Bring to a Boil, Reduce Heat to Low, & Simmer: Allow the three sisters bean stew to simmer for several minutes. You should notice that the stock thickens. Turn off the stove when finished. Remove the bay leaf and enjoy.

Notes

  • You can keep this stew in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
  • See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
  • Full Lesson Info and Pictures at:  https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/bean-stew

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 14gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 106mgPotassium: 787mgFiber: 10gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1745IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 4mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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