Why it works: Quinoa and beans share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 96 recipes mention both. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
The recipe
4 servingsIngredients
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Rinse the quinoa well in a fine strainer. Combine it with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, steam the chopped broccoli in a pan of boiling water over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
In a large bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, lemon juice, dried tarragon, coarse-grain mustard, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Add the drained garbanzo beans, broccoli, and quinoa to the bowl. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or garlic as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Quinoa + beanstop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together96 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Broccoli + mustardtop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together705 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Lemon + tarragontop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together884 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Broccoli + garlictop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,072 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + olivetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together23,449 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (quinoa, beans, broccoli, garlic, tarragon, mustard, olive):
- Avocadobetter flavor fit
- Lemonthe original
- Limeabout as good a flavor fit
Fit is the average pairing score against quinoa, beans, broccoli, garlic, tarragon, mustard, olive. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
The Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.