Why it works: Pepper and lime match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,491 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Toasted Tortilla Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice the tortillas into very thin strips (1/8-inch or less).
Place sliced tortillas on a baking sheet and toast until very crispy, about 8 minutes.
Slice the red pepper, poblano pepper, and green onion very thin.
Grate the carrots.
Dress and serve
Combine vegetables in a mixing bowl with vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, chili powder, and salt; toss to mix.
Toss in toasted tortilla strips just before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Corn Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 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.
-
Pepper + limetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,491 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Corn + limetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together773 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Pepper + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,555 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Corn + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together794 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 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
- Corn tortillas
- Toast into crisp strips that add crunch and texture to the salad.
- Red bell pepper
- Adds sweetness and crisp texture to the vegetable mix.
- White vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the vegetables and balances the dressing.
- Carrots
- Add sweetness and moisture through their shredded texture.
The step that matters
Toast the tortilla strips until very crispy. Thin tortilla strips dry out and crisp as their moisture evaporates in the oven. If they are underbaked they stay chewy and soften further when tossed with the moist vegetables, so they should be fully crisp before serving.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, pepper, carrot, vinegar, lime, olive):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Lettucefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, pepper, carrot, vinegar, lime, 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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