Why it works: Carrot and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 321 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Dill Pickle Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the base
Combine broth, carrots, potatoes and celery in soup pot, cook covered over low heat until potatoes are tender.
Add pickles and cook 15 minutes.
Thicken
Mix milk and flour until smooth, add to hot soup, mixing well.
Bring to boil, stirring until slightly thickened, then remove from heat.
Add the egg mixture
Beat egg with sour cream until smooth.
Add to hot soup, stirring until smooth.
Keep soup warm but do not boil or it will curdle.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| 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.
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Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together321 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + dilltop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together423 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Carrot + potatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,107 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Carrot + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,555 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
- Chicken broth
- Provides the liquid base and savory flavor of the soup.
- Potatoes
- Soften during cooking and help give the soup body.
- Pickles
- Give the soup its sour tang and dill flavor.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and softness to the thickened base.
- Egg
- Enriches the soup and adds body as it gently sets in the hot liquid.
- Sour cream
- Adds tang and richness to the finished soup.
The step that matters
Keep the soup warm but do not boil after adding the egg and sour cream. Egg proteins set when heated too hard, so boiling after the egg mixture goes in can curdle the soup and leave it grainy instead of smooth.
Swap the carrot
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, potato, dill, milk, egg, cream, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Spinachfits about as well
- Carrotthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, potato, dill, milk, egg, cream, 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.
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