This is very good! I did add six beef boullion cubes for salt and additional flavor. Plus about a tablespoon of kosher salt. It's nice and salty, just like I prefer it.

I enjoyed this soup. I was in a bit of a time crunch, so instead of using fresh tomatos and potatos I used about 7-8 canned whole tomatos and 3/4 of a can of sliced potatos. I also used the liquid from the tomatos in place of some of the water. Using canned veggies cut the first cooking time down quite a bit since the veggies didn't have to soften. I also added about a tablespoon of beef boullion granuals toward the end for a little more flavor. I'll make this again.

Sorry Miss Elly, this soup turned out far too watery and bland for my tastes. I followed your recipe to the letter, took some to work, and realized how much it was missing. I scaled this to 12 servings. When I got home, I added one can of diced tomatoes, one large can of tomato sauce, 1 small can of tomato paste, 3/4 cup of light sour cream (remember, 12 servings), a half cup of red wine, one teaspoon of chicken broth granules for every two cups of water, basil, salt and pepper. Now it's got body, taste, and still not a lot of fat. If this sounds too much like work, read the other recipes that use heavy cream, cheddar, and a lot of butter. After my additions, it wins the 5 stars. Thanks for the good working base recipe.