I promised in comments to Timmer’s recipe post last week that I would post my favorite cold-weather soup recipe. It’s from Nava Atlas’ “Vegetariana”

Combine in a large pot:
1/2 Cup dried lentils, washed and picked over
1/3-1/2 Cup brown rice
2 TBSp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSp soy sauce
2 Bay leaves
3 Cups water, or which is much better, 3 Cups vegetable broth

Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Then add:

2 additional cups water or broth
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
Handfull of finely chopped celery leaves
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes with liquid (for better yet, make it the tomatoes with chili peppers, like Ro-Tel)
1/2 Cup tomato sauce or tomato juice
1/4 cup dry red wine or sherry
1 Teasp dried basil
1 Teasp paprika
1/2 Teasp dried marjoram
1/2 Teasp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer for half an hour or so, until lentils and rice are done.

It is especially splended when made with a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilis, and with a rich vegetable broth…. and you can take the onus of being vegetarian off it by adding about half a pound of kielbasa or other smoked sausage, sliced into rounds, towards the end of the cooking time, and serving it with a little grated cheddar cheese on top. I made it once with imported green lentils from France, and people almost swooned.
And like all really splendid soups, it is even better when warmed over the next day.