Why it works: Thyme and basil match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,768 recipes. Both carry terpineol, which smells pine, woody. The science ↓
Downhome Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Add all ingredients to a large crock pot.
Cook on high for about 5-6 hours until onions are soft and tomatoes break up. If cooking on stove, cook on low heat and stir often.
Blend well in a food processor or with a hand blender.
Store
Store for the next day; it can be frozen.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 12 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Soup | 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.
-
Thyme + basiltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,768 recipes
Shared aroma: terpineol (pine, woody).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,979 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Clove + thymetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,108 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Onion
- Softens and sweetens as it cooks, adding body and savory depth to the soup.
- Whole tomatoes
- Form the base of the soup, breaking down to provide liquid, body and bright acidity.
- Tomato paste
- Concentrates tomato flavor and thickens the soup as its water cooks off.
- Ketchup
- Adds extra tomato flavor, sweetness and acidity to the soup.
- Baking soda
- Neutralizes some of the tomatoes' acidity, softening the sharp taste.
The step that matters
Cook until onions are soft and tomatoes break up. Tomatoes and onions need enough time to fully soften before blending. Undercooked onion stays firm and sharp, and the soup tastes raw and acidic rather than smooth and rounded.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, garlic, tomato, ketchup, pepper, thyme, basil):
- Capsicumfits better
- Eggplantfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against clove, garlic, tomato, ketchup, pepper, thyme, basil. 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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