Add 1 cup of boiling water to the bowl of almonds and soak for 10 minutes. Drain the water and pinch the almonds to remove the skin and set aside.
Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, sautéing for another 30 seconds.
Add the broccoli and almonds and cover, steaming for about 3 minutes.
Pour in the milk, vegetable broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until broccoli is soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. You can also add the soup to a blender in batches and puree. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Garnish the soup with some chopped, roasted almonds and serve hot.
Notes
You can skip blanching the almonds if short on time, but the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
Sautéing the onions, celery, ginger and garlic before adding broth and broccoli is just another additional flavor profile.
Use quality vegetable broth or chicken broth if you don't care about it being vegetarian. Broth is a huge component in the soup.
Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. It is much easier than adding to the blender in batches.