Thanksgiving is far gone now, but you don’t need an occasion to enjoy an authentic indigenous meal—especially one that represents the long history of the holiday.
Along with Thanksgiving, November also marks Native American Heritage month.
Three sisters, also known as squash, beans and corn, are staple crops that were grown throughout Native communities.
There is a myth surrounding these three foods which says they are physical and spiritual sustainers of life because the crops provide nutrients for each other when grown together.
These ingredients were often time used in a variety of dishes within indigenous cuisine and combined, they provided complete nutrition and a delicious flavor.
Three sisters salad combines these three ingredients by grilling them, traditionally over a charcoal grill, mixing them with fresh yellow and red tomatoes then topping them with a sweet and savory dressing that adds a burst of flavor.
If you’d like to make this classic dish for yourself, follow the recipe below!
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
- 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 ears corn, husked
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cooked cranberry beans or beans of your choice, drained
- 1 medium yellow tomato or 3/4 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, diced
- 2 plum tomatoes or 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
Recipe
- For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk to blend. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 10 days.
- For the salad: Traditionally, you can prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. If you are using a stove top, you can at a skillet to the stove and place it on medium-high heat.
- Brush the zucchini, squash, and corn with oil. Season the vegetables on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Grill the zucchini and squash until crisp-tender and grill-marked on both sides, about 10 minutes. At the same time, grill the corn until lightly browned, turning to cook all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the zucchini and squash to a cutting board and finely dice, then empty into a large bowl. Cut the kernels from the corn and add to the bowl along with the beans and the yellow and red tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.
- Serve at room temperature or cold and enjoy!