Serves 8

This is an incredibly rich, indulgent soup, but is also amazingly simple to make. A few years ago on Desert Island Discs, I was asked what my luxury item would be: the answer is a fresh vanilla pod. Compared to vanilla extract, the seeds from a vanilla pod lift this soup completely, and the black specks look pretty, too.

1 large butternut squash, weighing about 1kg
200g butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 vanilla pod
300-400ml chicken stock
150ml double cream

1 Peel, deseed and dice the butternut squash. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the squash. Season with salt and pepper, then sweat the squash for a few minutes until it starts to soften. Split the vanilla pod lengthways in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the split pod to the pan, reserve the seeds for later.

2 Pour in enough stock to just cover the squash and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook until tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender and whiz until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Pass the soup through a sieve, using the back of a ladle to push it through, into a clean pan.

3 Stir in the cream and add the reserved vanilla seeds. Check for seasoning and reheat, stirring regularly. Serve in warmed soup bowls.

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