A Salad a Day: Emergency Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
The time—1:39AM.
The place—Van Pelt Undergraduate Study Center.
After one cold, unforgiving order of sushi from Mark’s Café you wonder how much longer you can survive on that and Lunabars to get you through your study sessions. It won’t be long before you walk into Mark’s and your body mandates that you order an extra large blueberry muffin–bagel on the side.
Alas, poor student, you are not alone. As I write this very column I am in the dungeons of Van Pelt, finishing up the two presentations I must give tomorrow. I am cold, my eyes hurt, and I’m hungry. In a time like this, all I want to do is enjoy a hot bowl of soup in my cozy apartment with my feet up and my homework complete. While A Salad a Day is a column about salad, I have to make an exception for this week—this long, enduring, cold and bitter week*.
*Disregard if you do not have midterms and are on your way to tropical climes. As the secret ingredient is a tablespoon of existential tears, I’m afraid you’re unqualified to do this recipe justice.
Alas, I bring you Vegetarian Split Pea Soup. This recipe is incredibly simple, yet it has the power to transport you into realms where midterms and essays do not exist. Relish it.
At Home Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
4 cloves of garlic (sounds like a lot but it gives an amazing flavor)
1 small onion
1-2 medium carrot
1-2 tbsp olive oil
6 cups water or vegetable broth
1 bag of dried green split peas
1) Chop the garlic, onion, and carrots into small squares
2) In a large pot, sauté the items above until lightly browned
3) Rinse the split peas
4) Add water/broth and split peas to the pot
5) Bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring every fifteen minutes or so.
Depending on your personal taste you can let the soup simmer for a longer time. This will give the peas more time collapse, creating a thicker, smoother soup. I added baked cauliflower to my soup because I had some lying around. This recipe is really great for adding little additions to suit your palette, so don’t be afraid to explore.
Happy eating (or is it drinking?)
All my love from Van Pelt,
Maegan