Confetti Couscous

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.

1. Lime + cumintop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,216 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

2. Cumin + beanstop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,188 recipes

   Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

3. Jalapeno + cumintop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together688 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Jalapeno + limetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,035 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Pepper + limetop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together3,491 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

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

What each ingredient does

Couscous

Forms the bulk of the salad, absorbing water and olive oil to give a soft, fluffy base.

Black beans

Add protein-rich body and a firm, earthy texture that holds up among the grains.

Corn

Adds sweetness and a crisp-tender bite that contrasts with the soft couscous.

Olive oil

Adds fat and moisture, coating the grains and carrying flavour through the salad.

Lime juice

Provides acidity that brightens the dish and gives the sharp, puckery edge.

Red onion

Contributes sharp pungency that mellows as the salad sits.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, jalapeno, olive, lime, cumin, beans, corn):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Tomatofits better
3. Spinachfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, jalapeno, olive, lime, cumin, beans, corn. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.