Why it works: Marjoram and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,609 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Pease Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Put the split peas in a pot with boiling water.
Add the bacon, beef bones, or anchovies.
Add the celery, onions, and herbs.
Simmer gently for about 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
If using, add the celery seed 15 minutes before finishing.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Marjoram + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Celery + marjoramtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together615 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Split peas
- Break down during long simmering to thicken the soup and give it body.
- Bacon
- Adds smoky, savory fat and depth of flavor to the broth.
- Celery
- Contributes aromatic flavor and some body as it softens in the broth.
- Onions
- Build sweetness and savory depth as they soften and release their flavor.
The step that matters
Simmer gently and stir every 15 minutes. Peas can scorch on the bottom of the pot and stick if the heat is too high. A gentle simmer with regular stirring lets the peas break down evenly into a smooth, thick soup.
Swap the celery
The recipe marks celery as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peas, beef, onion, marjoram, pepper):
- Thymefits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Celerythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peas, beef, onion, marjoram, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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