Creamy Broccoli Soup

My sister-in-law and I get Real Simple magazine.  She made this recipe and told me it was amazing and then also proceeded to make it for our family for dinner.  I took a few bites and fell in love.  It is so good!  The original recipe calls for 1 potato, but we used to 2 to make it creamier (my potatoes totaled 13 oz.) and I didn't use a russet potato since I had other white potatoes already.  I may have actually used more broccoli than the recipe calls for too since I just bought a bunch and didn't bother measuring 7 cups...but on WW, vegetables are free, so I figured it didn't matter too much!  Just the consistency may be different from batch to batch.  So without further adieu:

I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

Creamy Broccoli Soup
Makes 4 servings
7 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I used EVOO)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional, but I used it)
2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch broccoli florets roughly chopped and stems peeled (yea, I certainly did NOT do that, haha), and sliced, about 7 cups
2 russet potatoes (about 13 oz), peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
2 oz. (1/2 c.) sharp cheddar cheese, grated- I used 2% shredded instead
Bagel chips, for serving
My WW calculations includes 6 bagel chips (15g) and it was the Old London Garlic and Herb variation.

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft, 4-6 min.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 18-20 min (mine took a little longer).
3. In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water as necessary.  (Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan).  Top with the cheddar cheese and bagel chips, if desired, before serving.