Needing to keep up my energy level (you do have to eat, of course) while baking and working today, I whipped together a questionable concoction that resembles cream of broccoli soup. I call it questionable because I was throwing things together randomly, and I am rarely a spontaneous, last-minute, wing-it kind of cook. But I was working, baking and hungry all at once. I had a head of broccoli, half a can of coconut milk and started thinking that all my pumpkin curry soups had left me wanting more soup.

I recognize that there is virtually no way to make a bowl of broccoli soup look appetizing, especially not with my non-existent photography skills. Nevertheless, I show it because it was delicious, even if it might not appeal to everyone. Most cream of soups require milk or cream, things I do not eat or like. I often use coconut milk in lieu of actual dairy products in my cooking experiments.

And the recipe:

About 1 tablespoon of butter (or olive oil would work if you're an unlucky resident of Norway and cannot get your hands on the coveted, elusive butter)
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of stock or broth (I just cut a vegetable bouillon cube in half and mixed it with about 5 dl (or 1 US pint) of boiling water)
About 4 cups of broccoli florets
Spices to taste (I like curry and cayenne a whole lot, so I mixed at least a teaspoon of curry powder and maybe a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper into the liquid)

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk (or coconut milk in my case)

Melt butter and saute the onion. You can add the spices of your choice in here if you want. Add the broth and the broccoli florets, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Blend the mixture either in a blender or, like me, with a stick blender right in the pan.

In a small saucepan, melt the second bit of butter, stirring in the flour and then add the milk gradually while stirring all along. Stir on medium heat until it is thick and gently bubbling. Add to the soup.

Season the soup and serve.