Three sisters tortilla pizza recipe inspired by: Saguaro National Park, Arizona.
This three sisters tortilla pizza recipe is inspired by the long human history of Saguaro National Park and the greater Tucson Basin, as well as traditional Southwestern cuisine.
For more than 2,000 years, Native Americans have lived in this region. From the early Hohokam societies, who first began growing crops like beans, corn and squash—the “three sisters”—to modern-day Tribes like the Pima, Hopi, Tohono O’odham, Yavapai and Zuni, these lands are intrinsically connected to the native peoples.
The stars of this particular national park-inspired recipe are the “three sisters”, three popular native crops from the Americas.
Contents
What Are the Three Sisters?
In their (semi-)agricultural societies, Native Americans invented and perfected a system known as companion planting.
In this crop growing technique, three main crops are grown together in the same plot of land. Those crops are corn, beans and squash. All three crops support and benefit from each other, increasing productivity and yield.
- Corn: stalks support the bean vines so they can grow upward.
- Beans: add nitrogen to the soil, which feeds the corn and squash; stabilize cornstalks in windy weather.
- Squash: prevent the growing of weeds, their wide leaves providing shade and keeping the soil moist; prickly hairs of some varieties may also keep animals like racoons and deer at bay.
Together, the three sisters provide a well-balanced meal that includes a wide variety of micro- and macro-nutrients.
In this three sisters tortilla pizza recipe, you’ll find all nine essential amino acids (proteins), some essential fatty acids and complex carbohydrates, as well as many vitamins and minerals.
Saguaro Three Sisters Tortilla Pizzas
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 2
- Calories per serving (one tortilla pizza): 756
Instead of the traditional tomato sauce pizza base, or perhaps a pesto or olive oil base, this tortilla pizza recipe uses a delicious chipotle and black bean spread base packed with spicy flavor.
Toppings include zucchini slices and corn kernels, completing the “three sisters” trio of ingredients, as well as mozzarella, parmesan cheese, green onions and basil. Amazing!
This Saguaro National Park-inspired recipe for healthy three sisters tortilla pizza contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
Necessary Kitchen Tools
- Large sauté pan
- Blender
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting boards
- Chef’s knife
- Tablespoon
- Measuring cups
- Non-stick pizza pan or pizza stone (I used both to see which one worked best: the pizza pan makes a crispier crust)
Saguaro Three Sisters Tortilla Pizza Recipe
Inspired by the Native American heritage of the Saguaro National Park region, as well as Southwest cuisine, this tortilla pizza recipe highlights the "three sisters", the ancient American ingredients beans, squash and corn.
Ingredients
- 2 flour tortillas (burrito size)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Black Bean Spread Base
- 1 shallot, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup water
Toppings
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup corn kernels, cooked or boiled
- 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces mozzarella, torn into bitesize pieces
- Handful of basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
- When softened, add the black beans, chipotles, adobo, cumin, chili powder and water. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer until most of the water is evaporated, about 7-8 minutes.
- Pour the shallot, chipotle and bean mixture into a blender. Blend until you get a mushy puree. Taste and, if necessary, add salt and/or pepper.
- Place your flour tortillas on pizza stones or pizza pans. (Pizza pans are preferred, but a parchment paper-lined baking sheet will work too.)
- Brush the top side of the tortillas with garlic-infused olive oil.
- Add a thin layer of the black bean spread.
- Top with shredded parmesan and mozzarella, followed by the zucchini, corn, scallions and basil. Sprinkle some more parmesan and pepper on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until cheeses are melted and tortilla pizza edges are crispy. Watch closely.
- Cut into slices, serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Note: You can, of course, also add some other toppings to these tortilla pizzas. For a three sisters pizza, however, make sure to keep the corn and zucchini (or another kind of squash). Other popular toppings are tomatoes, mushrooms and pickled jalapeno slices.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 756Total Fat 44.3gSaturated Fat 16.5gCholesterol 79mgSodium 1946mgCarbohydrates 50.8gFiber 11.9gSugar 6.1gProtein 43.3g
A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.
If You Decide to Make This Amazing Saguaro National Park-Inspired Three Sisters Tortilla Pizza Recipe at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!
More Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by National Parks
- Three Sisters Soup Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
- Oven-Baked Squash Balls Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
- Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Mac & Cheese Recipe (Shenandoah National Park)
- Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas Recipe (Big Bend National Park)
- Butternut Squash Soup With Popcorn Recipe (Mesa Verde National Park)
- Mushroom Quiche Recipe (Mount Rainier National Park)
- Three Cheese Pizza Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
- Vegetarian Red Flannel Hash Recipe (Acadia National Park)