Soups, stews make hearty winter meals

No one needs to invoke word play to link the Super Bowl, savory, steaming bowls of soup and stew, and cold weather. Any of these elements naturally go well together.

Whether your winter game-watching food style is light snacks, intermittent grazing or hearty feeding, a hot meal in a bowl is a convenient item to serve.

For almost any other time of year, too, there's some kind of soup or stew that is the perfect choice for a menu.

The following recipe features a rib-sticking purée. The bacon and ham hock add a traditional smoky flavor to this thick and heart-warming puree of vegetable and split peas. However, if you prefer a meatless version, omit the bacon and ham hock, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and replace the bacon fat with vegetable oil.

Purée of Split Pea Soup

4 strips bacon, minced

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)

1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 leek, white and light-green part, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

6 cups chicken broth

2 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 pound split green or yellow peas, or lentils

1 smoked ham hock

Sachet: 1 bay leaf, 1 whole clove, 1 garlic clove, 4 or 5 peppercorns, enclosed in a large tea ball, or tied in a cheesecloth pouch

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup croutons

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and leek; stir to evenly coat with fat. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, peas and ham hock. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sachet and simmer until the split peas are soft, about 30 minutes. Skim away any scum that may have formed during simmering.

Remove the sachet and discard. Remove the ham hock and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the ham off the bone, dice and set aside.

Strain the soup through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Purée the solids and return them to the pot. Add enough of the reserved liquid to achieve a thick consistency. Blend well. Stir in the ham and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with croutons.

Makes 8 servings.

Browse these books for more recipes:

"The Best Recipe: Soups and Stews" (Boston Common Press, $29.95, 2001), by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. Contains 200 recipes for the most successful versions of soups and stews, plus detailed illustrations showing how to cut, shape and mince ingredients.

"All About Soups & Stews" (Scribner, $19.95, 2000), by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker. This book combines some 130 recipes adapted from the latest edition of "Joy of Cooking."

"The Big Book of Soups & Stews" (Chronicle Books, $19.95 paperback, 2001), by Maryana Vollstedt, has 262 recipes for "serious comfort food." The writer describes the collection as "a variety of practical, savory soups and stews," and says they include many traditional and classic recipes.