Creamy Broccoli Soup for Two

We woke to very cold temperatures, my personal favorite kind of late fall day.  It's chilly in the house and I have a cold.  My husband mentioned wanting to go out for broccoli soup.  Lucky for him, I bought a crown of broccoli yesterday...

...going back 6 months ago, this summer I was at the CIA for lunch with my sister and we shared the most silky Cream of White Asparagus Soup.
I have been dying to make something like it since.  About a year ago, I bought a Viking Hand Mixer at half price because they were discontinuing the color red, my kitchen accent color.  I decided I would put it to work on my Creamy Broccoli Soup creation today.

Peel and dice 1 Large Carrot into 1/4" Dice, about 1/2 Cup.  Ciseler 1/2 of 1 Medium Vidalia Onion, about a 1/2 Cup.  Rinse and cut up 1 Broccoli Crown into pieces that will require about the same cooking times.  Heat over medium heat, a tall narrow saucepan.  Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil and 2 Tbl Butter.  Add carrot and onion.  Saute while stirring for about 5 minutes.  Add broccoli and continue to cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently.  Season to taste with White Pepper and Kosher Salt.  Add (1) 14 1/2 oz of Canned Chicken Broth.  Add 1 Tbl uncooked Barley for a thickener.  NOTE: You can use 1 diced potato or 1 Tbl of uncooked Rice instead.  Cook at a low simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Using the hand blender, blend the soup until is is creamy.   If you don't have one, add soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.  Add back to the pot.  Add 1/4 Cup 1/2 & 1/2 and 1/4 Cup Milk for a creamed version.  Heat until hot but don't boil the soup after adding the milk and cream.

Ladle the hot soup into large bowls and garnish with grated cheese and (crumbled bacon if you have some on hand)! I checked my receipt, the broccoli cost about $.50, so all in all, this soup cost approximately $1.50 and took about 30 minutes to make.  Compare that to going out, sometimes you just have to stay in.

It's October 2019.  I made this again last month top left hand photo.  I had a bag of Pumpkin Seeds as well as Pumpkin Oil.  I decided to roast a handful of seeds in the oil and and top with the crunchy flavorful seeds as well as add a few drops of the oil here and there!  Compared to my original presentation, wow, upped the game.  Delicious results.