WINTER SOUPS By Christy Rost   When it's cold and blustery outdoors, there's nothing like the fragrance of homemade soup simmering on the stove.  A pot of hot, homemade soup conjures up the quitessential image of "home and hearth", probably because our mothers nurtured us with soup when we weren't feeling well (even if it did come from a can). For generations, soup has been considered a favorite among Americans of all ages. During our country's lean economic times, soup has provided inexpensive hearty nourishment for countless families.  Mothers and grandmothers stretched meager food budgets by cooking leftover chicken, pork or beef, together with vegetables, water and a few herbs to create flavorful soups that filled the stomach without breaking the bank. Even during times of plenty, soup continues to be a popular choice.   When talking with children, I have found the vast majority list soup as one of their favorite foods.  During the cold winter months, soup helps take the chill out, and leaves us feeling warm and cozy.  Nearly every restaurant worth its salt features at least one or two soups on the menu. A hearty soup can be the ideal solution to what to cook during a busy weekend. Preparation time is usually minimal and can be done early in the day, leaving most of your time free for other activities.  When dinnertime rolls around, it takes only minutes to prepare a salad and slice a loaf of crusty bread to accompany the soup.  Nothing could be easier! Two of our family's favorite soups are featured here.  Randy's World Famous Bean Soup was created by my husband, Randy, a number of years ago, and continues to evolve periodically.  It starts with a meaty ham bone, which you may already have in your freezer from the holidays.  The second soup is Cream of Broccoli Soup. This chicken broth-based soup is rich and creamy, and oh-so-easy to prepare.  A small cup of cream of broccoli soup is wonderful as a first course when you have guests, but is a satisfying main course soup when accompanied by a fruit or green salad and a basket of warm muffins. Randy's World Famous Bean Soup (Randy Rost) Ingredients: 1    very meaty ham bone 2    pounds mixed dry beans     (Great Northern, small white, cranberry, pinto, black, black-eyed peas and lentils) 2    potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces 3    carrots, peeled and cut into 1/ 2-inch slices 2    small onions, coarsely chopped 2    bay leaves 1-2  teaspoons dried oregano 1/ 2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/ 2 teaspoon dried basil 1/ 2 teaspoon Spice Islands fine herbs 4    quarts water (16 cups)     Tobasco pepper sauce to taste Rinse beans in a large bowl of water, sorting to remove damaged beans.   Drain. Place beans, ham bone, pototoes, carrots, onions and herbs in a very large pot. Pour in water.  Cover and bring soup to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally. During final 30 minutes of cooking, remove ham from bone, discarding bone. Return meat to soup.  Add Tobasco, salt and pepper to taste. Leftover soup may be cooled and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days or may be frozen.  When re-heating soup, add 1/ 2 pound sliced, pre-cooked link sausage, if desired. Cream of Broccoli Soup Ingredients: 1    tablespoon olive oil 1/ 2 cup chopped onion 1/ 2 cup chopped celery 1    tablespoon flour 2    14-ounce cans lowfat chicken broth 1    1-pound bunch broccoli flowerettes 1    cup milk or half & half -    salt and pepper to taste Saute onion and celery in olive oil over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until soft.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to blend.  Add chicken broth to vegetables, stirring well.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. While soup base simmers, cut broccoli flowerettes from stalks.  Save stalks for another use. Separate flowerettes into small sections.  Add to soup.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes until broccoli is very soft. In several batches, puree broccoli soup in a blender, transferring puree to another saucepan.  Stir in milk or half & half; season with salt and pepper.  Heat soup over medium heat until hot.  Do not allow soup to boil.  Recipe serves 4.       Read more of Christy Rost's articles in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com