Bison and Sweet Corn Soup Recipe

Grandma Barbara gave this recipe to me, and like most real grandmas, she usually cooked it with beef, because it was easily accessible and cheap. Many traditional recipes have evolved to include more commonly found meats, leaving out wild game due to changes in food sources and rising prices.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is her favorite brand of dry sweet corn. When I was working on recreating this dish, I called her and asked her what brand she was using. “It’s a coupe,” she said. “You have to buy the green label,” she added, referring to the brand’s tagline. I couldn’t help but laugh. When you rehydrate these dried corn kernels, the flavor soars. I kept this dish true to its origins, with only three ingredients and no spices, to capture the beauty behind the simplicity of Native American cuisine.

Note: Dried corn is essential to the flavor of this recipe, but you can use fresh corn in a pinch. Simply cut the beans from the cob, and add them to the bowl of water with the cubed bison. I recommend adding the cobs to the pot while cooking for extra flavor. Just remember to remove it before serving.