Name: LaLaPaLeek Soup with Cheese
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) soy marg; 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced; 1 large garlic clove, minced; 4 large potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 4 cups un-chicken or vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried; 3/4 cup soymilk; 4 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese; 1 cup grated soy cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces); Chopped fresh parsley (optional); Additional grated soy cheddar cheese (optional)

Why it works: Carrot and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 321 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

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.

Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together321 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Leek + carrottop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,310 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Potato + dilltop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together423 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Garlic + potatotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,517 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Leek + garlictop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together150 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

Leek: Softens into sweet, mellow flavor as it sautés in the fat.
Potatoes: Break down while simmering, thickening the soup and giving it body.
Carrots: Hold their shape while softening and add subtle sweetness.
Soy cheddar cheese: Melts into the soup, adding richness and a savory, creamy flavor.
Tofutti better than cream cheese: Adds creaminess and smooth body when blended into the soup.
Soymilk: Adds liquid and creaminess, rounding out the broth.

The step that matters

Stir the cheese over low heat. High heat can make cheese turn grainy or separate and become oily. Keeping the heat low and stirring gently lets the cheese melt evenly into the soup.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (leek, garlic, potato, carrot, chicken, dill, cream cheese):

Parsleyfits better
Thymefits better
Celeryfits better
Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against leek, garlic, potato, carrot, chicken, dill, cream cheese. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Carrot	1 medium (61g)	25
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Clove	1 tsp ground (2g)	7
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1

LaLaPaLeek Soup with Cheese