Why it works: Parsley and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
New Potato Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Cook potatoes in boiling water 20-25 minutes, just until tender.
Cool and slice thickly.
Assemble and chill
Place potatoes, onions, and parsley in the bottom of a salad bowl.
Top with diced beets and chopped chives.
Mix together vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
Pour over salad.
Cover and chill 2-3 hours before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Beet | 1/2 cup (85g) | 35 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Salad | 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.
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + chivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together611 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Parsley + chivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,150 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Onion + chivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,907 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- New potatoes
- Form the bulk of the salad and hold their shape when sliced and chilled.
- Salad oil
- Carries flavor and gives the dressing a smooth, coating richness.
- Wine vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the dressing and balances the oil.
- Pickled beets
- Add sweetness, acidity and vivid color from their pickling liquid.
The step that matters
Cook potatoes just until tender. Potatoes cooked past tender break apart when sliced and absorb dressing unevenly. Stopping at tender keeps the slices intact and lets them take up the vinegar and oil well.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, parsley, chive, wine, vinegar, pepper):
- Shallotfits better
- Broccolifits better
- Mustardfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, parsley, chive, wine, vinegar, pepper. 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
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Salad Dressing491 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipes
Cold Slaw160 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.