Why it works: Onion and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Austrian Home-style Generic Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup base
Melt butter over medium heat.
Add flour, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes puffy.
Add water, bouillon powder, onions, potatoes and carrots.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Simmer and finish
Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost done (about 5 to 6 minutes).
Add broccoli and return to boil.
Simmer for another minute.
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 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| 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.
-
Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Carrot + potatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,107 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Broccoli + potatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together910 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Carrot + broccolitop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,442 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).
-
Onion + broccolitop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,294 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds fat and flavor to the base and helps the flour cook into a roux.
- All purpose flour
- Thickens the broth into a light body as it cooks with the fat.
- Bouillon powder
- Provides the savory beef flavor that carries the whole soup.
- Potato
- Softens during simmering and adds starch that gives the soup body.
- Carrot
- Adds natural sweetness and a firm texture that holds up during simmering.
- Broccoli
- Adds color and a tender-crisp texture when added near the end.
The step that matters
Simmer until the potatoes are almost done before adding broccoli. Broccoli cooks much faster than potato and carrot. Adding it too early can turn it dull and mushy, so it goes in once the root vegetables are nearly tender.
Swap the broccoli
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, flour, beef, onion, carrot, potato):
- Leekfits better
- Chivefits better
- Turnipfits better
- Broccolithe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, flour, beef, onion, carrot, potato. 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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