Name: Heidelberg Wurstsalat
Ingredients: 2 lbs german bologna; 1 lb swiss cheese; 5 medium tomatoes; 2 medium dill pickles; 1 large onion; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or Oil of Maggi); salt, to taste; black pepper

Why it works: Tomato and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Heidelberg Wurstsalat

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Cut bologna into thin strips about 4 mm wide.
Dice Swiss cheese into cubes.
Dice tomatoes.
Dice onions.

Dress and serve

Add olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve chilled or right after it's made.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

306Calories

10 gProtein

22 gFat

18 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Swiss Cheese	1 oz (28g)	108
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,630 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + dilltop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together511 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + red winetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together806 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

German bologna: Provides the meaty base and main texture of the salad.
Swiss cheese: Adds chewy texture and rich, savory flavor as cubes.
Tomatoes: Contribute moisture and a fresh, slightly acidic flavor.
Olive oil: Adds fat and carries flavor through the salad.
Red wine vinegar: Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the fat.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (swiss cheese, tomato, dill, olive, red wine, pepper):

Capsicumfits better
Potatofits better
Cucumberfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against swiss cheese, tomato, dill, olive, red wine, 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.