Why it works: Lettuce and cucumber match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,409 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
The recipe
Serves 4Ingredients
Contains: milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Rinse the dried black beluga lentils, then put them in a saucepan with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.
Drain the lentils and let them cool for about 10 minutes.
Whisk the orange juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dried oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make a dressing.
While the lentils are still slightly warm, toss them with half of the dressing so they absorb the flavor. Let them cool to room temperature.
Shred the iceberg lettuce, dice the English cucumber, and tear the fresh basil into pieces.
Combine the lettuce, cucumber and basil in a large bowl, then add the lentils and toss gently.
Crumble the soft goat's cheese over the salad, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.
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.
-
Lettuce + cucumbertop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,409 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Basil + olivetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together4,868 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Lentils + lettucetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together51 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-hexanol (resin, flower).
-
Cucumber + vinegartop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together4,705 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
-
Lettuce + olivetop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,400 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lentils, lettuce, cucumber, basil, olive, vinegar, honey):
- Avocadobetter flavor fit
- Cherrybetter flavor fit
- Limebetter flavor fit
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lentils, lettuce, cucumber, basil, olive, vinegar, honey. 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.