Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Corn Soup Tibetan-style
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Sauté the onion in butter or oil in a soup pot until brown and soft.
Add the paprika, garlic, and ginger and cook briefly.
Add the tomato and the tofu, cut into small cubes, along with the water.
If using fresh corn, cut it from the cob and add it to the pot, along with the cornstarch mixed in a little extra water.
If using canned and/or frozen corn, add them both now.
Bring to a boil, and simmer for a minute, stirring to prevent sticking.
Serve
Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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.
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + corntop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,099 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,402 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Corn
- Provides the main sweetness and body of the soup.
- Tofu
- Adds soft protein-rich body and absorbs the surrounding flavors.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the broth as it heats, giving the soup a silkier texture.
- Onion
- Browns and softens to build a sweet, savory base.
- Tomato
- Adds acidity and moisture that brightens the broth.
The step that matters
Stirring while the cornstarch thickens. Cornstarch settles and scorches on the bottom of the pot if left still, and it needs to reach a boil to reach full thickening power. Stirring keeps it dispersed and prevents sticking.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, butter, garlic, ginger, tomato, tofu, corn):
- Cuminfits better
- Turmericfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, butter, garlic, ginger, tomato, tofu, corn. 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.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Corn Fritters203 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Tomato Bisque61 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.