Why it works: Orange and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,634 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Orange and Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a bowl, shred the cabbage.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Make the dressing
Combine the dressing ingredients.
Toss and chill
Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss.
Chill before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Salad | 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.
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.
-
Orange + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together10,634 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Cabbage + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,081 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 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
- Cabbage
- Forms the crisp, bulky base that holds the dressing.
- Oranges
- Add sweetness, juiciness and a bright citrus flavour.
- Salad oil
- Adds fat and a smooth mouthfeel that carries flavour.
- Lemon juice
- Provides acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the sugar.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that softens the sharpness of the lemon juice.
- Dry mustard
- Adds a sharp, pungent note and helps the oil and juice stay blended.
The step that matters
Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss. Tossing evenly coats every shred so the flavour is consistent. Dressing added too early or left too long can make the cabbage limp and watery, so it should be tossed just before serving.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cabbage, orange, lemon, sugar, mustard, pepper):
- Broccolifits better
- Horseradishfits better
- Lettucefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cabbage, orange, lemon, sugar, mustard, 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.
You might also like
Cabbage Dressing9 recipes
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Salad Dressing491 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.