Artichoke Soup with Bacon Soufflé Toasts

This soup is made with the small knobbly tubers called jerusalem artichokes. They’re devils to peel – young, small ones only need to be scrubbed – and there’s often a lot of wastage. When boiled, they flop and collapse, and generally look very unappetising.

However, when they’re liquidised, as they are in this soup, they transform into a thick, fluffy purée. This texture and their subtle and haunting flavour lends itself perfectly to soup. Served with a few scraps of crisp bacon or