Why it works: Potato and parsley are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,855 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Dutch Potato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Peel and cut each potato into six pieces.
Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender; do not drain.
Make the soup
Blend the butter, flour, egg, and milk together.
Gradually add the blended mixture to the hot potato water.
Heat again until boiling, then remove from heat and add vinegar.
Serve
Serve the soup in plates containing chopped fried bacon.
Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Potato + milktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + parsleytop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together16,675 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Their starch breaks down while cooking and gives the soup body.
- Flour
- Starch thickens the liquid as it heats, giving the soup a smooth, body-rich texture.
- Egg
- Egg proteins lightly set and enrich the soup, adding richness and a silkier texture.
- Milk
- Provides creaminess and liquid that softens the soup's overall texture.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a rounded, savory flavor.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the soup and sharpens its flavor.
The step that matters
Gradually add the blended mixture to the hot potato water. Adding the flour, egg and milk mixture slowly while stirring keeps the flour from clumping and the egg from curdling. Overheating egg proteins can make the soup grainy, so it should not be boiled hard after the egg goes in.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, butter, flour, egg, milk, vinegar):
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, butter, flour, egg, milk, vinegar. 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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