Name: Shiitake Bok Choy Soup
Ingredients: 1/2 pound bok choy; 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms; 6 scallions; 8 grams katsuobushi; (dried bonito flakes; about 2/3 cup); 6 ounces thin Asian wheat or buckwheat noodles

Why it works: Shiitake and mushroom work together. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 552 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓

Shiitake Bok Choy Soup

Timeapproximately 3–6 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 pound bok choy
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms
6 scallions
8 grams katsuobushi
(dried bonito flakes; about 2/3 cup)
6 ounces thin Asian wheat or buckwheat noodles

Directions

Prepare

Cut bok choy and scallions into 1/4 inch slices.

Make the soup

Add katsuobushi to boiling water.
Add stock, bok choy, mushrooms, and noodles.
Cook for approximately 3–6 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

102Calories

7 gProtein

1 gFat

21 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 8 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Shiitake	1/2 cup (73g)	34
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Bok Choy	1 cup (70g)	9
Katsuobushi	not in our table	0
Bonito	not in our table	0
Wheat	not in our table	0
Buckwheat	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.

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.

Shiitake + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together552 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Mushroom + wheattop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together124 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-hexanal (fruit).
Shiitake + wheattop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Mushroom + bonitotop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together9 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol (allspice, anise).
Shiitake + bonitotop 24% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together7 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

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

What each ingredient does

Shiitake mushrooms: Adds savory, meaty depth and a chewy texture to the broth.
Katsuobushi: Adds smoky, savory umami that gives the broth its main flavor.
Noodles: Add body and chew, and soak up some of the broth.
Bok choy: Adds crisp-tender texture and fresh, green flavor to the soup.

The step that matters

Adding the katsuobushi. Katsuobushi releases its savory flavor quickly in hot water. Boiling it for a long time draws out bitter, fishy notes, so keep this step brief and avoid letting the broth boil hard after the flakes go in.

“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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Shiitake Bok Choy Soup