Name: Black Bean Pilaf
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion, sliced; 1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1/2 cup drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 cups cooked brown rice (cooked in chicken broth)

Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Black Bean Pilaf

Time3 to 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups cooked brown rice (cooked in chicken broth)

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium‑high heat until hot.
Add onion, beans, tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until flavors are well blended.
Stir in rice; heat thoroughly.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

676Calories

45 gProtein

18 gFat

81 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Black Bean	1/2 cup canned (120g) drained	114
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
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.

Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

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

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,713 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Beans + ricetop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,017 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,769 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Olive + beanstop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,470 recipes

Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

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

What each ingredient does

Black beans: Provide the main body and starchy, creamy texture of the pilaf.
Brown rice: Forms the bulk of the dish and adds a chewy, nutty texture.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Add concentrated savory, tangy flavor and some oil richness.
Onion: Softens and sweetens as it cooks, building a savory base.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, beans, tomato, pepper, rice, chicken):

Capsicumfits better
Okrafits better
Potatofits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, beans, tomato, pepper, rice, chicken. 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.