Light Coconut Cream Broccoli and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup barley
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 2 celery stalks
• chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• cut into slivers and divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 dashes ground nutmeg
• 7 cups chopped broccoli florets and stalks
• 3 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 (14 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (optional)
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
• chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring the barley and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
2. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Drain and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
5. Stir the onion and celery into the melted butter, place a cover on the pot, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Add about half the garlic.
7. Season with the black pepper, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and nutmeg.
8. Return the cover to the pot and cook another 5 minutes.
9. Stir the broccoli, vegetable stock, and remaining garlic into the mixture and bring to a boil.
10. Return the cover to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook another 15 minutes, stirring once.
11. Remove the pot from heat.
12. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway.
13. Hold the blender lid with a folded kitchen towel and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree.
14. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot.
15. Alternately, you can puree the soup with a stick blender directly in the pot.
16. Return the soup to medium-low heat.
17. Stir the coconut milk, 2% milk, and barley into the pureed soup; cover and cook until hot, 5 to 8 minutes.
18. Ladle into bowls and top with Asiago cheese and parsley to serve.