Creamy Chicken Divan Soup

Southern Living. I used chicken thighs that I chopped up and sauteed. You can use a rotisserie chicken if you don't want to cook the chicken yourself. Even the kids ate this right up.

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium-size 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
* Toasted slivered almonds (optional)

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.