Equipment
Ingredients
Squash Preparation
- 1 acorn squash, halved, seeded, and cubed
- 15 ml sunflower oil
- 3 g kosher salt
Hearty Stew Base
- 15 ml sunflower oil
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 g dried crushed chilies
- 400 g cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 400 g cooked hominy, rinsed and drained
- 120 ml vegetable broth
- 150 g dandelion greens, washed and roughly chopped
Garnish
- 40 g toasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 423 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 62 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 16 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 684 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 1211 mg
- Calcium
- 188 mg
- Iron
- 6.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 188 mg
- Phosphorus
- 389 mg
- Zinc
- 3.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 222 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 295 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.48 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.19 mg
- Niacin
- 1.8 mg
- Folate
- 209 mcg
- Water
- 340 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a large baking sheet, toss the cubed acorn squash with 15ml of sunflower oil and kosher salt until evenly coated. Spread into a single layer.
Roast the squash in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and caramelized at the edges, tossing halfway through.
While the squash roasts, heat the remaining 15ml of sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed chilies, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the drained pinto beans, hominy, and vegetable broth to the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the liquid to reduce slightly.
Add the chopped dandelion greens to the skillet. Fold gently into the hot bean and hominy mixture until they are just wilted but remain bright green, about 2 minutes.
Divide the bean, hominy, and greens mixture among 4 shallow bowls. Top each bowl with the roasted acorn squash cubes.
Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds evenly over each bowl for added crunch before serving warm.
Chef's Notes
- Hominy is dried field corn treated with an alkali solution (nixtamalization), a brilliant ancient technique that makes the corn's niacin nutritionally available.
- Tepary beans are incredibly drought-resistant and native to the American Southwest. If you can source them, they elevate this dish with a rich, nutty flavor.
- Leaving the skin on the acorn squash is highly recommended. It softens beautifully during roasting, adds pleasant texture, and reduces prep time.
- Dandelion greens offer a sharp contrast to the sweet squash and starchy beans. If foraging your own greens, ensure they are harvested from areas untreated by pesticides.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store greens separately if possible, as they will release moisture and become overly soft.
Freezer: 2 months — Squash and beans freeze well. Do not freeze the dandelion greens as their texture will degrade.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth, or microwave in 1-minute intervals.
Troubleshooting
Dandelion greens taste overly bitter
Cause: Mature greens were used, which naturally hold more bitter compounds
Fix: Toss the finished dish with a small splash of apple cider vinegar or a drizzle of maple syrup to balance the bitterness
Prevention: Select younger, smaller dandelion greens when possible
Acorn squash is mushy and falling apart
Cause: Squash was cut too small or roasted too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but still delicious mixed thoroughly into the bowl as a thickener
Prevention: Cut squash into uniform 2.5cm cubes and monitor closely after 20 minutes
Cultural Context
This dish honors the Three Sisters agricultural method developed by Indigenous peoples across North America. Corn, beans, and squash are planted together in a symbiotic system: the corn provides a stalk for the beans to climb, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil to fertilize the plants, and the broad squash leaves provide shade that retains soil moisture and deters weeds. Eaten together, they provide a complete plant-based protein.
