Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Spanish Potato Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Scrub potatoes, and in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes 20 to 25 minutes until just tender.
If your potatoes vary in size, remove them individually as they reach this stage and allow the larger ones to continue cooking until they also are tender.
Drain potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Remove skin from potatoes, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
Dress and serve
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until well combined.
Add to this the tomatoes, onion, and olives and mix well.
Add potatoes to the bowl of other ingredients, and mix well.
Serve well chilled.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cherry | 1 cup (138g) | 87 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 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.
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 + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + olivetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,458 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
-
Olive + cherry tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together24 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 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
- Potatoes
- Provide the bulk of the salad and a firm, tender texture once cooked.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Forms the emulsified dressing and adds richness and a fruity flavor.
- White wine vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the oil.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Add juiciness and a sweet-acidic burst that moistens the salad.
- Green olives
- Contribute salty, briny flavor and a firm bite.
The step that matters
Cooking the potatoes to just tender. Potatoes cooked past tender break down and turn mushy when cut and tossed, while undercooked ones stay hard and resist absorbing the dressing. Removing each potato as it reaches tenderness keeps the pieces intact and evenly textured.
Swap the cherry tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, olive, white wine, vinegar, pepper, onion):
- Plumfits better
- Limefits better
- Mangofits better
- Cherry tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, olive, white wine, vinegar, pepper, onion. 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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