Soup, Salad, and Soul

Written by Sara Spangler

Coming to college, I knew I wanted to get an on-campus job, and I began searching the summer before my freshman year. I stumbled upon one that immediately caught my eye: Soup, Salad, Soul Student Chef. I clicked on it, applied, and waited to hear back. Luckily, they hired me! Quickly, I learned the ropes of the job, and now I cannot imagine college experience without it. It is such a lovely, special program, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.

Image Credit: Sara Spangler

So what exactly is Soup, Salad, Soul?

Organized by student interns in Smith College’s Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, Soup, Salad, Soul is a weekly meeting in which student chefs prepare a meal and a student facilitator brings up a topic, creating questions for us all to share. We share our names, our memories, our opinions, and insights into the world, and enjoy a nice, fresh meal in the comfy lounge of the chapel. 

Our meal is fully vegetarian, consisting of some sort of soup, salad, a side dish, and a dessert. We also like to buy drinks/snacks! Along with two other student chefs, I meal plan, shop, prep, cook, and serve around 30 students a week. Some of my favorite dishes we’ve done include butternut squash soup, this really lovely couscous salad, and banana pudding. We switch it up every week and take suggestions, as well.

Conversations:

Soup, Salad, Soul is such a welcoming space, full of such awesome Smith students. We definitely have regulars, but sometimes someone will come for the first time, and we also have some alums return to join us for a meal. 

The topics range from conversations surrounding boundaries, the experience of music, how we talk to ourselves, how our culture has affected us, to what we are doing for spring break or summer. Hearing from my peers about their lives and getting little snippets of their past and their families, those that they love; it truly is such a special thing, and I feel lucky to take part in it.

Image Credit: Sara Spangler

Cooking:

My favorite part, though, is the morning before, when my coworkers, Abby and Rinny, and I meet in the CRSL kitchen and prepare the meal. We’ll decide who makes what every week, and help each other out as we go. Working in a kitchen, there’s always room for innovation and last-minute changes or adjustments, especially since there are some limitations on how much we are able to do in such a small space. Learning how to adapt within a time limit has been incredibly rewarding, and getting to cook soup and listen to music with those girls every Friday morning is one of my favorite Smith traditions.

I wanted to highlight this program because I think that it is incredibly special and unique to Smith College, and has just truly impacted my life in so many ways. Although I go home sweaty and smelling like I took a bath in soup, I always feel so peaceful and present by the end of the day. Having this job has also led me to understand myself more in terms of what I want to do after college, as it’s given me the opportunity to feel the deep satisfaction of cooking and eating with others. Getting to enjoy a hot, fresh meal and have a very real conversation with my peers is truly magical. 

Thumbnail Credit:

Sara Spangler