Why it works: Garlic and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Sopa De Ajo
Ingredients
Directions
Make the garlic base
Saute the mashed garlic and sliced onion slowly in the butter in a large saucepan. Do not let the garlic turn brown and bitter.
When onions are translucent, transfer garlic, onions and butter to a food processor or blender.
Add a small amount of broth and process until the onion and garlic mix is smooth.
Finish the soup
Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the rest of the broth and seasonings.
If you would like it creamier, substitute some of the broth for half and half or cream.
Serve
Place a piece of toast (or cubes) in each bowl and break an egg over it.
Ladle the soup over the egg and toast.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Garlic + chickentop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,850 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
-
Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Garlic + clovetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,368 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Garlic
- Provides the main aroma and flavour, which mellows as it cooks gently in butter.
- Onion
- Adds sweetness and body as it softens and turns translucent in the butter.
- Butter
- Carries the aromatics and adds richness and a smooth mouthfeel to the soup.
- Broth
- Forms the liquid base of the soup and carries its savoury flavour.
- Raw egg
- Cooks gently in the hot soup and adds richness, where used.
The step that matters
Saute the garlic slowly without browning. Garlic that browns turns bitter, and that bitterness carries through the whole soup. Gentle heat softens its sharpness and lets the onion turn sweet.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, onion, butter, chicken, bread, egg):
- Parsleyfits better
- Capersfits better
- Thymefits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, onion, butter, chicken, bread, egg. 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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