Creamy Spicy Cauliflower Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, or as much as you like, chopped
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled
1 head cauliflower Salt and pepper
4 ounces canned mild green chiles
1 fresh jalape?o pepper, or to taste
3 to 4 cups chicken broth or water
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (or cheese you like)

Heat oil in a wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, stir and continue to cook as you chop potatoes in 1-inch chunks and add them to the pan. (You can peel the potatoes if you like, but when they are blended, the skins virtually disappear into tiny specks that don't impair the creaminess of the soup.)

Trim cauliflower into pieces about as big as the potatoes. When the potatoes have cooked 10 minutes, add the cauliflower, lots of salt and pepper and green chiles.

Trim the stem from the jalape?o, mince the pepper and add as much of it as you like.

Add chicken broth or enough water to make 6 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Potatoes and cauliflower should be tender.

Remove from heat. Working in several batches, add soup to a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Return all blended soup to pan and heat to boiling, adding more liquid (water, broth, milk or cream) if you think it's necessary.

When the soup is hot throughout, remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Alternatively, you can serve the soup with the cheese sprinkled on top. You might like to add more cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Variation: For curried cauliflower soup, omit the cheese and add 2 teaspoons of curry powder while cooking the onion. Serve with a dab of chutney and sour cream, if preferred.

Approximate values per serving: 214 calories, 12 g fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 15 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1,352 mg sodium, 51 percent calories from fat