Why it works: Thyme and summer savory match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 214 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Turtle Soup From Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans
Soak the black beans in water overnight.
Boil the beans in 2 liters of water until they are soft.
Puree the beans in a blender or push them through a sieve, reserving the liquid.
Return the puree to the soup pot along with the liquid.
Make the soup
Put the parsley, thyme and summer savory into a small piece of muslin and tie it.
Put the muslin bag into the pot.
Add the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add the egg yolks, lemon slices, wine and meatballs.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bean | 1/2 cup canned (120g) drained | 114 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Summer Savory | not in our table | 0 |
| Meatball | 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.
-
Thyme + summer savorytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together214 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Thyme + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,973 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Parsley + summer savorytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together241 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Black beans
- Provide the main body and thick texture of the soup when pureed.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, rounded mouthfeel to the finished soup.
- Hard boiled egg yolks
- Add a creamy, rich texture and body to the soup as a garnish-like addition.
- Lemon
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour of the rich soup.
- Wine
- Adds acidity and aromatic depth to the soup.
The step that matters
Puree the beans thoroughly. Pureeing or sieving the cooked beans breaks down their cell walls and starch, so the liquid thickens smoothly. Under-processed beans leave a grainy, thin soup.
Swap the summer savory
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (parsley, thyme, butter, pepper, egg, lemon, wine):
- Marjoramfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Sagefits better
- Summer savorythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against parsley, thyme, butter, pepper, egg, lemon, wine. 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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