Sunchoke Soup with Bacon Topping

Clean and peel the sunchokes, chop into small cubes.

Finely chop 1 onion, leek, celeriac and parsley root. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a soup pot and cook vegetables until golden and softer. Add the fennel seeds and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Add a dash of sake and the vegetable stock and cook until vegetables are soft.

Puree the soup and adjust the taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, adding juice 1 tablespoon at the time, to taste.

For the topping, chop remaining onion and ginger very finely. Chop bacon into small cubes. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan and cook onions until translucent. Add bacon and ginger and cook until onions are soft and bacon slightly crispy. Add sambal oelek to taste (it is very hot) and pickled green peppercorns.

Serve the soup with the topping and some bread.