Split-pea Soup

This is a variation on my lentil soup recipe (posted here) using split-peas and collard greens in place of lentils. The collard greens complement the peas in taste, nutrition, and color. I chop them into 1/4 inch strips like this:














Left-over idea: this soup thickens as it refrigerates so you can use reheated left-overs as a spread on toasted bread. Top with some grated Swiss or Gouda cheese and voila... you've got open-faced sandwiches for lunch

Lentil Soup
4 Servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup split-peas, soaked overnight and then drained
1/2 pound of collard greens, rinsed and chopped

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and next 6 ingredients (through red pepper flakes) and saute for 10 minutes, until the onions have browned. Add split-peas, collard greens, and enough water to generously cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the peas are very soft. Serve and enjoy.

Lentil Soup

I took a loaf of bread out of the oven this afternoon and thought a couple slices would go delightfully well with a hardy soup for dinner. So I whipped up lentil soup with potatoes.


This soup works well for dorm room cooking. There are few ingredients, the chopping is manageable on a small cutting board, and once the sauteing is done, the dish is very hands off-- I left it cooking in the communal kitchen and got a little work done while the soup simmered away. Added bonuses: no fancy tools required (no blender or butane torch needed) + this recipe calls for only a few utensils which means an easy clean up (that's a big plus for me considering the dorm sink I wash my dishes in is as big as the sinks in the airplane bathrooms). Try it yourself-- just get everything going and then read some Kurt Vonnegut until the lentils are tender.

Left-over idea: place arugula and cold, left-over lentil soup in a sandwich wrap. Eat!

Lentil Soup
4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium cooking onion, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup dried lentils, washed and drained
4 cups water

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onions and potato and saute with paprika, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg until the onions brown (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and continue sauteing for 2 minutes. Add lentils and water to saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 1.5 hours. Serve with freshly baked French bread.

Welcome!

So here's the deal: I'm a Princeton undergrad cooking for myself as I finish up my last two years here. I'm all about whipping up some healthy, delicious grub in the name of the joy of cooking.

Cooking in college isn't glamorous-- I share a communal kitchen that's located outside of the building I'm living in (makes for some fun in the winter), I store all of my cooking supplies in a big bin under my bed, and I have no counter space to speak of. But there are some major pluses: I love cooking, am not subject to the whim of the dinning hall chefs, and save a lot of money by not buying a meal plan. Plus, I'm a vegetarian-- what better way to make sure I'm eating what I want to eat than by preparing it myself?

So follow along, and I'll share with you the tricks of cooking your way through college.