Why it works: Mushroom and chicken are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,172 recipes. Both carry 1-butyl acetate, which smells fruity, banana. The science ↓
Lentil and Yogurt Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
Saute the bacon with the onion and carrot for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Simmer the soup
Add the mushrooms, lentils, and chicken stock.
Season with coriander, a little salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
Stir in the yogurt and reheat gently.
Serve
Ladle into warm soup bowls, sprinkle with the snipped chives, and serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 13 of 14 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lentil | 1/2 cup cooked (99g) | 115 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | 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.
-
Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,172 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
-
Carrot + lentilstop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together505 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Carrot + coriandertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,297 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Carrot + orangetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together737 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Lentils + coriandertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together273 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Orange lentils
- Break down during simmering to thicken the soup and give it body.
- Low-fat natural yogurt
- Adds tang and creaminess when stirred in at the end.
- Lean back bacon
- Adds savoury, meaty flavour to the base built with the onion.
- Mushrooms
- Add earthy flavour and savoury body to the soup.
The step that matters
Stir in the yogurt and reheat gently. Yogurt can curdle or split when it gets too hot, so it should be stirred in off the boil and warmed only gently to keep the soup smooth.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, onion, carrot, mushroom, lentils, chicken, coriander):
- Avocadofits better
- Limefits better
- Coconutfits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, onion, carrot, mushroom, lentils, chicken, coriander. 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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