Why it works: Cumin and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 983 recipes mention both. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the cumin, cayenne and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the tomato puree, then the oregano.
Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and 850 ml water.
Boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Cool slightly then puree the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Return to the pan and season to taste.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Cumin + oreganotop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together983 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together14,164 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together29,030 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Cumin + tomatotop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together3,272 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Red kidney beans
- Provide the bulk and body that make the soup thick and hearty when pureed.
- Onions
- Soften and sweeten as they cook, forming the flavour base of the soup.
- Chopped tomatoes
- Add acidity and liquid, building the tomato base of the soup.
- Tomato puree
- Concentrates tomato flavour and adds depth and colour to the soup.
- Olive oil
- Carries fat-soluble spice flavours and helps the onions and garlic cook evenly.
- Paprika
- Adds warm, smoky colour and aroma as it cooks in the oil.
The step that matters
Puree the soup until smooth. Blending while the soup is cooled slightly keeps it safe to handle and gives a smooth texture; pureeing very hot liquid in a blender can force steam out and splatter. Cooling a little also helps the texture set evenly.
Flavor stand-ins for the kidney beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, onion, garlic, cumin, pepper, tomato, oregano):
- Beansbetter flavor fit
- Chickpeabetter flavor fit
- Lentilsbetter flavor fit
- Kidney beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, onion, garlic, cumin, pepper, tomato, oregano. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
IllustrationThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.