Why it works: Lemon and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Fava
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak dried fava overnight.
Boil fava in 3 cups of water until mushy.
Make the dip
Place fava and all the rest of the ingredients in a blender (or mix well by hand).
Pour mixture into two deep platters.
When set, cut into squares.
Serve with olives and parsley as garnish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Lemon + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + parsleytop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Olive + parsleytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,649 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Clove + parsleytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,768 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Dried fava
- Forms the bulk of the dip and, once boiled and blended, gives it its body.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat and richness, giving the dip a smoother, silkier mouthfeel.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and balances the earthy beans.
- Garlic
- Contributes sharp, pungent aroma and flavour.
The step that matters
Boil fava until mushy. Dried fava must be fully softened before blending; beans that are undercooked stay grainy and firm, so the dip will not become smooth.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, sugar, olive, lemon, parsley):
- Thymefits better
- Basilfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, sugar, olive, lemon, parsley. 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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