At this time of year, when carpets of snow still glisten on the sidewalks and frosted windows dangle with jagged icicles, I find myself craving the soothing, body-warming comforts of hearty, deep-flavored soups, stews and chili. But even as winter rolls into spring, soups, stews and big ol' crocks of chili never fade from fashion. Versatile, perfect for a crowd or a romantic dinner by candlelight, sustenance in a bowl is one of life's most soul–satisfying pleasures.

We asked six top Denver chefs to share hearty recipes from their respective restaurants. Sure, you may have to wait until a lazy Sunday to make that elegant lobster bisque you've been daydreaming about, but what better way to leap into your lover's heart than with lobster? Or how about a wild mushroom soup crowned with fresh truffles? These may be labor-intensive endeavors, but so long as you read the directions through and have all the ingredients at your fingertips before you conquer the recipes, you'll be sitting down to a glorious bowl of bliss that is well worth the effort.

Tyler Wiard | Elway's
Steak Chili
Makes 6 servings

Notes: Paul Prudhomme seasoning blends, spices and chile powders are available at Whole Foods Market and at www.chefpaul.com. Masa harina can be found alongside other flour and cornmeal products in most grocery stores and Mexican-American markets. Gebhardt's chili powder is available at www.mildbills.com.

1 lb New York strip or Rib Eye steak, trimmed and cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 tbsp. Crisco
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
1 cup beef broth
½ cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. Paul Prudhomme's chile powder
1 tbsp. Paul Prudhomme's Anaheim chile powder
1 ½ tsp. Gebhardt's chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
¼ cup Pickapepper sauce
2 tbsp masa harina

1. In a large, deep, heavy saucepan, brown beef on all sides in Crisco.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

1 ½ tsp. dark chile powder
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's chipotle chile powder
1 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's arbol chile powde
1 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's ancho chile powder
1 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's guajillo chile powder
1 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's pasilla chile powder
1 quart water

1. To the saucepan, add all the remaining ingredients, except water, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
2. Add water and simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Drew Middleton | Gaia Bistro
Lamb and White Bean Stew
Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 cups dried cannellini beans
4 cups water
½ lb lamb loin, trimmed of fat and cubed into bite-size pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and rough-chopped
1 celery rib, cleaned, leaves removed and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
1 sprig rosemary, minced
1 bay leaf
½ cup red wine
½ cup tomato paste
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 cups beef stock
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak cannelini beans in water for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
2. In a large saucepan, simmer beans in 4 cups water for about 1 hour or until tender. Strain beans and set aside.
3. Liberally season lamb with salt and pepper. In a stock pot, brown lamb on all sides. Remove lamb and set aside.
4. Keep the pot on medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf and sauté until onions are translucent.
5. Add red wine and deglaze over medium heat.
6. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
8. Add lamb, salt, pepper, coriander, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes.
9. Add cannelini beans and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes
until the lamb is tender and the beans, cooked through.

Frank Bonanno | mizuna
Wild Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings

Notes: Fresh truffles can be found at The Truffle or online at www.earthy.com. Cheese cloths are available at most supermarkets.

5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
10 sage leaves
1 sprig rosemary
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tbsp. butter
1 lb cremini mushrooms
1 lb tree oyster mushrooms
1 lb chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup dry sherry
4 cups mushroom or vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp. crème fraîche
¼ cup sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 fresh truffle, shaved into 4 slices (canned truffles can be substituted)

1. Wrap thyme, bay leaf, sage leaves and rosemary in the cheese cloth to make a sachet. Tie twine around the top and set aside.
2. In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Toss in shallots and cook two minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for ten minutes more, stirring constantly. Mix in sherry and cook another two minutes.
3. Add mushroom stock and drop in the herb sachet. Cook until stock is reduced by half.
4. Add heavy cream and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
5. Remove soup from heat. Puree in blender with crème fraîche, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
6. Ladle equal amounts into 4 serving bowls. Top with shaved truffle and chives.

Sean Yontz | Mezcal and Tambien
Pozole
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Notes: Pigs feet are available at many Hispanic markets, including Avanza and Rancho Liborio. Dried guajillo chiles can be found at most supermarkets.

6 cups canned white hominy, drained
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. oregano
1 lb pork butt, trimmed of fat and cubed
1 pig's foot
¼ cup guajillo chile puree (see directions below)
1 gallon chicken stock
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ cup lard or vegetable oil
¼ cup white flour

Guajillo Chile Puree
6 dried guajillo chiles
1 cup boiling water

1. Soak guajillo chiles in boiling water for about 1 hour. Drain and de-stem chiles.
2. Puree the chiles in a food processor until smooth, adding a small amount of their soaking liquid if the mixture is too thick.

Accompaniments
Warm flour tortillas
Chopped white onions
Sliced radishes
Sliced white cabbage
Fresh lime wedges

1. In a medium-size skillet, sauté onions, garlic and oregano in lard until onions are translucent. Set aside. In a separate skillet, add cubed pork butt, pig's foot, salt, pepper and flour and sauté until brown over medium heat, being careful not to burn the flour.
2. Transfer all ingredients into a stock pot and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Serve in a large bowl with accompaniments.

Jennifer Jasinski | Rioja
Smoked Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings

Notes: Use a stove top smoker to smoke the vegetables. Stovetop smokers are available at Williams-Sonoma and online at www.cameronscookware.com. Make sure to burn the chips thoroughly as you smoke the vegetables.

For the Vegetables

2 lbs applewood grilling chips, soaked overnight in water
1 ¼ lbs Roma tomatoes, halved
¼ lb white onions, peeled and diced
¼ cup whole garlic cloves, peeled

1. Sprinkle wood chips on the bottom the smoker, top them with aluminum foil and a rack to hold the vegetables.
2. Slide the smoker shut and smoke the tomatoes, onions and garlic in the pan over medium low heat for 20 minutes. Set aside.

For the Soup Base

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 ½ qt. chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add the olive oil to a hot, but not smoking large soup pot.
2. Add the smoked vegetables, allowing them to sweat for few minutes until the tomatoes begin to break up.
3. Add the thyme, oregano and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Let cool.
4. Blend with a hand mixer or in a blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Strain soup through a fine mesh strainer. This can be made one day ahead of time and chilled.

For the Bean Salad

1 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in water
1 strip bacon
4 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup Napa cabbage, julienned
2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
4 tbsp. country ham, julienned
1tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, add the cannelloni beans and cover with chicken stock.
2. Add bacon and garlic. Simmer on low heat until the beans are tender, about an hour.
3. Strain mixture, discarding liquid, and allow mixture to cool on a cookie sheet.
4. In the same pot, combine the cooked beans, cabbage, parsley, ham, salt and pepper and simmer on low heat.
5. Add olive oil and lemon juice.
6. Set bean salad aside until it cools to room temperature.

To Serve:

Place equal portions of the mixed bean salad in the center of four soup bowls and then ladle with hot soup base.

Bob Wiltshire | Morton's the Steakhouse, LoDo
Velvet Lobster Bisque
Makes 10 servings

Notes: Making your own lobster stock at home is time consuming and labor-intensive, but well worth the effort. If you don't want to make your own, several specialty food stores, like Whole Foods, carry it in the frozen food section.

2 quarts lobster stock
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup cornstarch, packed
1 tbsp. brandy
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 oz. lobster meat per person
Curly leaf parsley for garnish

1. In a large stockpot, bring the lobster stock to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Stir in heavy cream
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the wine and cornstarch until smooth. Add to stock and whisk constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the soup thickens.
4. Stir in the brandy, salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Garnish with lobster meat and parsley.

* If you don't have homemade lobster stock, you can intensify the flavor of store-bought stock by crushing the discarded shells and simmering them with stock for 20 minutes. Strain stock and discard shells before using.

LOBSTER BISQUE STOCK
Makes 2 quarts
3 ½ to 4 lbs small (chicken) lobster or other fresh lobsters (see note below)
1 ½ tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 medium Spanish onion, roughly chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 large celery rib, roughly chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2/3 cup tomato paste
8 curly-leaf parsley sprigs, rinsed well and thick stems trimmed

1. In a large stockpot, brings about 5 gallons of water to a roiling boil over high heat. Add lobsters and cook, partially covered, at a gentle boil for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the lobsters are red. Remove the lobsters, drain in a colander, reserving the lobster cooking water, and set aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.
2. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the lobsters, including the claws and tails, reserving the shells. Cut the meat into large chunks, trimming any rough edges, and reserve the meat, covered in the refrigerator, to garnish the bisque.
3. Put the remaining lobster shells in two heavy-duty plastic bags. Wrap the bags in a kitchen towel and smash the shells with a mallet, rolling pin or the flat side of a skillet.
4. Meanwhile, in another large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, onion, celery and garlic and sauté, partially covered, for about another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Add the crushed lobster shells and sauté for about 15 minutes.
5. Add 12 cups of the reserved lobster cooking water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tomato paste and parsley and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the stock, partially covered, for 1½ hours, skimming off any fat and froth that float to the surface of the liquid.
6. Strain the stock through a chinois or a fine-mesh sieve into a large metal bowl, pressing down on the vegetables and shells to release all the liquid. You need 8 cups of liquid. If necessary, pour addition lobster cooking water or tap water over the shells in the sieve and into the bowl until you have 8 cups. Discard the shells and vegetables.
7. If not using right away, put the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and water and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or until chilled. Transfer the stock to a covered storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The stock can be frozen for up to 7 days if frozen as soon as prepared.

NOTE: Small lobsters have thinner, softer shells than larger ones and are easier to crush. They also may be less expensive. You can use larger lobsters, though.