Why it works: Pepper and thyme are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,585 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Mushroom and Rice Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Cook sliced and chopped mushrooms and onions in oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender crisp.
Add broth, straw mushrooms, water, pepper and thyme.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in rice and sherry; simmer 1 to 2 minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Mushrooms | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Water | 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.
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Pepper + thymetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Olive + thymetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,948 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,172 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
-
Mushroom + thymetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,557 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Chicken + ricetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,769 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mushrooms
- Provide the main body and earthy flavor of the soup.
- Olive oil
- Carries heat to the mushrooms and onions so they soften and brown lightly.
- Chicken broth
- Forms the liquid base that carries all the other flavors.
- Cooked rice
- Adds body and bulk, making the soup more substantial.
- Dry sherry
- Adds a light, sharp aroma that rounds out the broth.
The step that matters
Cook the mushrooms until tender crisp. Mushrooms release water as they cook, and cooking them in a hot pan until they are browned and tender concentrates their flavor. Crowding or under-cooking leaves them watery and bland in the finished soup.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, olive, chicken, pepper, thyme, rice, sherry):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, olive, chicken, pepper, thyme, rice, sherry. 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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