Vegetarian comfort food

So on Sunday night, we ended up having a family of five as well as one other kid and our across-the-street neighbor over for supper. This was partly because the family and the neighbor had been without power since the storm last Friday and therefore hadn't been able to do a lot of cooking. I figured that since they'd all been through a somewhat difficult situation, they'd want something basic and hefty and comforting. I made a baked ziti dish with three kinds of pork in it - pancetta, Italian sausage, and pork shoulder that's braised 'till it flakes apart. It's topped with mozzarella and parmigiano. A little over-the-top if you ask me, but this is the kind of dish that warms the soul for my wife.

After supper, we found out that the woman in the family eats very little meat. That got me thinking. When it's cold and nasty outside, I think of stuff like meatloaf, braised short ribs, pot roast, etc. All meaty dishes. If you're cooking vegetarian, what do you look for on such days? Maybe a cheesy pasta or a hefty risotto? Or something else? (Not that my wife would ever let me get away with it, but I think the info may be handy in the future.)

Well, there's all manner of soups which can be made sans meat. That's my go to dish when the weather turns cold or nasty.
Actually, I'm trying to make it through January on a completely meatless diet. So far, so good.

If I were to go in the direction of pasta to warm the house and comfort the soul, I would consider a meatless version of my lasagna. I wouldn't have to tweak it that much, just change the sauce and delete the chopped meat/sausage layer.
Also, I have a 5 bean, vegetarian chili on tap to make later this month - I suspect that would fit the bill as well.

For me, mac'n'cheese (not the blue box!), onion soup, pizza... anything which will get the oven to heat up the house. JT's post makes me think of a nice kale-based minestrone (green vegetables are rare this time of year), but my comfort has mostly been cheese-derived and oven-based.

In a totally different direction, sambar heats me internally.

L'esprit d'escalier: polenta. Especially with a wild mushroom ragout.

Masoor daal.

-Paul W.

Thanks, guys. Next time we have these folks over, I'll know what to do.