Why it works: Onion and parmesan cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,717 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Crisp Bacon and Parmesan Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the bacon
Grill or fry bacon until crisp and golden.
Chop bacon coarsely into bite‑sized pieces and drain on absorbent paper if necessary.
Set bacon aside.
Assemble and serve
Arrange salad leaves on a large platter or individual plates.
Slice onion very thinly and arrange on top of salad leaves.
Sprinkle crisp bacon over the salad.
Drizzle vinaigrette dressing over and scatter Parmesan shavings on top.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Salad | 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.
-
Onion + parmesan cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,717 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rindless back bacon
- Provides salty, smoky flavour and crisp texture when grilled or fried.
- Parmesan
- Adds salty, savoury flavour and a sharp contrast to the leaves.
- Sweet onion
- Adds mild sweetness and a crisp, sharp bite raw.
- Mixed salad leaves
- Forms the base of the salad, providing bulk and fresh texture.
The step that matters
Drain the bacon before adding it to the salad. Bacon fat left on the crisp pieces can make the salad greasy and soften the leaves, so blotting excess fat keeps the bacon crisp and the dish light.
“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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