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