Name: Baby Spinach Salad with Tomato and Mozzarella
Ingredients: 5 ounces baby spinach leaves; 1 beefsteak tomato, cut thinly crosswise; 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips; 1/4 pound part-skim mozzarella, diced; 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped fine; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar; kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Why it works: Basil and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,390 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Baby Spinach Salad with Tomato and Mozzarella

Ingredients

5 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 beefsteak tomato, cut thinly crosswise
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound part-skim mozzarella, diced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Arrange alternating layers of baby spinach leaves and beefsteak tomato across a plate.
Top the layers with fresh basil leaves, diced part-skim mozzarella, and chopped fresh oregano.
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad.
Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

248Calories

9 gProtein

20 gFat

9 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Spinach	1 cup raw (30g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Oregano	1 tsp dried (1.8g)	5
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1
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.

Basil + oreganotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,390 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,979 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,767 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Basil + olivetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,063 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

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

What each ingredient does

Baby spinach leaves: Forms the leafy base and adds a fresh, tender texture to each layer.
Beefsteak tomato: Adds juiciness and a bright, slightly acidic sweetness to the layers.
Part-skim mozzarella: Adds creamy, mild richness and a soft, milky texture.
Olive oil: Adds fat that carries flavor and gives the dressing a smooth mouthfeel.
Balsamic vinegar: Adds acidity and a sweet-tart flavor that balances the oil and mozzarella.

Swap the spinach

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, basil, oregano, olive, vinegar, pepper):

Capsicumfits better
Eggplantfits better
Cucumberfits about as well
Spinachthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, basil, oregano, olive, vinegar, 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.