Amy W's Chicken Divan Soup

So I FINALLY made the Chicken Divan Soup that Amy W. mentioned on her site several months back. I'd been hoarding a lot of the ingredients for a while and needed to make it before things started to go bad. Yummy (although my husband and I agreed that it would be better in the cooler months)!!! I'll re-post Amy W.'s recipe below.

Oh, and I pulled the largest of the wishbone pieces from the chicken. Maybe that means my wish of getting my big paper done will come true one day...that or getting a windfall of cash!

Chicken Divan Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 (48-oz.) container chicken broth
2 (12-oz.) packages fresh broccoli florets (about 12 cups)
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and red pepper, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and broccoli. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Stir in cream cheese.

2. Process mixture with a handheld blender until smooth. Add chicken and shredded cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with almonds, if desired.

Note: If you don't have a handheld immersion blender, let mixture cool slightly; process mixture, in batches, in a regular blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Return mixture to Dutch oven, and proceed as directed.