Potato soup for the first chilly nights of autumn

When autumn finally chills the evening, what do you crave for supper? Could it be potato soup?

Scott Ketron posts incredible photos of the cooking he’s been doing since he retired first as Holston Conference clergy and later as an entrepreneur.  

Recently, he posted videos and photos of potato soup, which were too appealing for me to pass by.

Do you have a recipe? I asked.

“It’s my grandmother’s recipe,” Scotty said. He told me her name was Ethel Ramsey, a member of Vermont United Methodist Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. She died February 17, 1991, at age 77.

What made you want to cook potato soup tonight? I asked.

“It got in the 60s, and that’s about as cold as we can get this time of year,” said Scotty, who lives on the North Carolina coast with his wife, Rhonda.

“And Rhonda loves potato soup. And I love her,” he added.

Enough said.

Here is Scotty’s grandmother’s recipe for potato soup, along with enticing photos of the finished dish topped with cheese and bacon, accompanied with Scotty’s homemade bread. If you make the recipe, send me a photo at annettespence@holston.org

Ethel Ramsey’s Potato Soup

(by her grandson, Scott Ketron)



5 cups water
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup onions, chopped
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
5 cups milk
2 tablespoons margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube the potatoes and rinse in tap water to remove excess starch. Add the rinsed potato cubes, onions, and 5 cups of new water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, drain the water completely. Add the flour and stir gently. Add milk, margarine, salt and pepper. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, until soup thickens, taking care not to scorch.