Three Sisters Soup
The three sisters refer to a traditional trio of plants grown by various Indigenous Peoples across North and Central America—corn, climbing beans and squash. When planted side by side these crops help each other grow. Corn provides support for the bean vines to grow on. Beans add nitrogen into the soil to fertilize the corn and squash. Finally, squash grows as a groundcover to provide shade, which keeps the ground moist and prevents weeds from growing.
Three sisters soup is a complete nutritional package with carbohydrates from corn, protein from the beans, essential vitamins and minerals from the squash.
“Soups are made quite frequently in the north and I enjoy making soups, as it’s my connection to my home when I’m living so far away. The story of the three sisters (corn, squash, beans) is one of helping each other and protecting each other during growth. Our land has taught us so much about what we need to survive. We are still learning from the land today. We need to protect and care for the land for a brighter future.”
- Chef Steph
Meet The Chef
Steph Baryluk
Chef Steph Baryluk created the Rooted Dining Commons and Catering menus at SFU. She is Teetl'it Gwich'in and is from Teetl'it Zheh (Fort McPherson), Treaty 11 Territory located in the Northwest Territories and now resides in Tsawwassen, BC with her husband and two kids. After completing her Red Seal as a Cook she knew she wanted to do more with her Indigenous roots. Chef Steph has hosted cooking classes and speaking engagements in her hometown, at the FAO in Rome, SXSW, and across the Lower Mainland. She also launched her own company, MRS B’S JERKY, which is a play on traditional caribou dried meat ‘Nilii Gaii’ but made with beef. She's excited to share her Indigenous cuisine and stories with the SFU community.
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