Why it works: Onion and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,779 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Austrian Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the salad
In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp and brown; drain, crumble and place in a medium bowl.
Add beans, 1 teaspoon salt, onion and dillweed; toss gently.
Make the dressing and combine
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; whisk until well blended.
Pour dressing over bean mixture; toss gently to coat.
Chill and serve
Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
-
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Green beans + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together226 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Vinegar + olivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green beans
- Form the bulk of the salad and absorb the dressing's tangy flavour while staying crisp-tender.
- Bacon
- Adds savoury, smoky fat and crisp texture that contrasts with the beans.
- Vinegar
- Provides the acidity that gives the salad its sharp, tangy character.
- Sugar
- Balances the sharpness of the vinegar with a touch of sweetness.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat and body to the dressing, carrying flavour and coating the beans.
- Onion
- Contributes sharp, aromatic flavour that mellows during chilling.
The step that matters
Dressing the beans and chilling. The beans must be fully drained before dressing, or excess water dilutes the vinaigrette. Chilling for about 2 hours lets the beans absorb the acidic dressing and the flavours meld.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive. 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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