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Lentils are wonderful. You can do pretty much anything with them that you'd do with dried beans, but they cook in a flash.

As far as other wintery soups, there are just so many good ones... we eat soup at least weekly throughout the year, and sometimes daily during cool weather. It's a bit of an obsession around here!

So, what are your tastes? Do you eat meat? Prefer ethnic flavor or traditional homestyle? Thick and hearty, like stew or chili? Cook all day or just a couple-three ours?

Well, beef stew with lots of root veggies is always good. It's a lot of work up front, but once it's cooking, it's just a matter of time. Patience is the the key. Chuck is traditional, but I use tri tip for a quicker version. Brown chunks of meat slowly and in small batches in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Don't crowd the pan or you'll end up steaming or boiling the meat. You want it to reach rich, dark brown without burning it. I cut my meat smaller than most recipes call for -- no more than an inch -- for a meatier stew. Also, most recipes say to flour it first, but I find it works better just blotting all moisture from the meat, S&P, toss directly into hot fat (olive oil works fine, or use animal fat if you have it). Remove the meat, set aside, and slowly brown a chopped onion in the remaining fat. Be careful not to scorch! Add a few tablespoons of flour to make a thick roux, cook till nutty brown, remove from heat, and allow to cool several minutes. This is the secret to avoiding lumps. Add hot beef broth (I use Kitchen Basics brand), probably about 2 quarts, depending on how much meat you've used. Start with less if you're not sure -- enough to cover the meat -- you can always add more later. Return meat to pot, along with a few bay leaves and a good bit of thyme. You can use whatever herbs you prefer, but this combo is my favorite, and reminds me of France. Bring to gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour for tri tip, several hours for chuck. Personally, I believe stew improves the longer it's cooked. Stir periodically -- you don't want to scorch it. About an hour or so before serving, add chopped carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, pearl onions, etc. -- whatever combo you like -- cook until tender. About 15 minutes before serving, add frozen peas if desired. If it's not thick enough, you can either stir in an additional roux, or a mix of flour and water. If you use flour and water, be sure to cook it a while so it doesn't taste like raw flour. Adjust S&P before serving.

Sopa de Albóndigas (Mexican meatball soup) is one of my winter favorites, and one I'm somewhat known for. I'll have to find my notes, though, and I'm running out to brunch right now. So, I'll post it later so you can make it on another day. It is so delicious!!!

I vote for a prosciutto bone and yellow split peas with onion and garlic. add a smidge of cumin.

toss in some shredded basil at the end.

Thanks everyone. I will give some of these a shot.

Whoa, lexophile, please give me your pho recipe. I would love to give it a shot. I used to work in Vietnam and while I have eaten plenty of pho, I have never cooked it. Thanks.

I love a chorizo, kale, bean soup during the cool months. Chicken broth, Carrots, (potatoes, sometimes) onion, either fresh or cured chorizo, a can of white beans and a large bunch of kale torn into pieces. Let it simmer for a couple of hours and it makes the house smell so welcoming.

i should add that if you aren't completely nuts for the sweetness of hoisin you might want to start with 1 tbsp and keep adding til the taste suits you. i LOVE hoisin so my pho is heavy on it.

Soup is a winter must and I call my 'go to' recipe "Man Soup" because if you have a guy in your life who shies away from soup - there's no excuse not to love this one!

¾ lb bulk Italian sausage
½ c. Chopped onion
5 c. Beef broth
(1) 14.5 oz can Italian style tomatoes, cut up and undrained
1 c. Thinly sliced carrot
1 teas. Dried basil
1 teas. Dried parsley
2 cloves of garlic mixed (I just use the stuff from the jar)
1/8 t pepper
1 c. Sliced zucchini or summer squash
1 c. Rotini or small shell macaroni
¼ c. Grated parm cheese

In large saucepan or Dutch oven cook Italian sausage and onion until no longer pink. Pour sausage mixture into a colander to drain off fat; rinse meat and drain again. Return sausage mixture to saucepan or Dutch oven and stir in beef broth, undrained tomatoes, carrot, basil, parsley, garlic and pepper.

Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 mins. Stir in zucchini or squash and rotini or mac.

Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered 10-15 mins or til mac and veggies are tender.

Sprinkle each serving with parm cheese.

I adapted this from a cooking light recipe (I made it tastier and simpler, but less light):

Turkey Vatapa

Ingredients
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
1 cup water
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (12-ounce) can if your favorite beer (well, maybe not Guiness)
1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 cup wild rice
3 cups chopped skinned cooked turkey
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Place peanuts in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger and jalapeño; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in water, tomatoes, and beer, peanuts, turkey, coconut milk and rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Or as long as you feel like it.
Stir in parsley, cilantro, juice, salt, and black pepper just before serving. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

This is the absolute easiest baked potato soup recipe EVER. Not to mention delicious.

Baked Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings (doubles easily)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth (or veg stock)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
Recommended: Top with grated cheese, crumbled bacon, sliced green onions and/or a dallop of sour cream

Melt butter in large saucepan (large soup pot if doubling) over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour.
Gradually whisk in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from one potato (reserve skin) and mash. Add pulp to broth mixture.
Cook over medium heat until just boiling, stirring occasionally. Dice remaining potatoes AND skin and add to soup. Heat through. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with toppings.
Note: This soup gets thicker the longer you let it sit and simmer on the stove.

I love chicken soup in the winter: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

Hillary
Chew on That

Sorry, I just realized that my port is a few days late for the finale, but this one is a quick, easy, and comforting winter soup.

Heat a family sized can of concentrated tomato soup in a big stock pot with some black pepper and dried rosemary to taste (if you use water to un-concentrate the soup, you will be struck down immediately. To avoid this, use milk, whole milk, please.)
Fry a half pound or so of bacon, chop the fried bacon and put it into the stock pot; leave the grease in the pan.
Cook a few stalks of chopped celery in the bacon grease until they are soft, but still have some crunch and toss them into the pot.
Shred a half pound or so of sharp cheddar cheese.
At this point you will be able to hear your arteries slamming shut.
Ignore them.
Set the cheese aside and continue cooking the soup, stirring occasionally.

When the stirring has exhausted you to the point of hunger, ladle some soup into a bowl an stir in a generous handful of the cheese. Break off a big chunk of crusty bread, and pour yourself a porter, or something else dark enough for winter, and sharp enough to cut the fat.
Grab the remote and (since the finale is over) turn on something like "Blues In The Dark" (The version from the Kansas City-The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will work well.)

You'll get extra points if you eat it in front of a crackling fire and take your first bite about five seconds after the saxophone starts.