Why it works: Onion and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Matzo Joshawk
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Heat oil in a soup pan, add onions, and stir-fry over moderate heat for 1 minute, just long enough to change color.
Add water and bring to a boil. Add beef or lamb or chicken pieces, potato, salt, and pepper.
Cover pan and cook for 1 hour, or until tender.
Finish and serve
Just before serving, dribble beaten egg in a circle into simmering soup.
Serve hot with matzo.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb | 100g cooked | 294 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Corn Oil | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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 + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,148 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Corn + potatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together938 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Chicken + potatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,756 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Onions
- Softened briefly in oil, they add sweetness and aroma to the soup base.
- Beef or lamb
- Becomes tender during simmering and adds rich meaty flavor to the broth.
- Potato
- Breaks down slightly as it cooks, adding body and starch to the soup.
- Egg
- Sets in strands when dribbled into hot soup, giving the broth a silky, thickened texture.
The step that matters
Dribble the beaten egg into simmering soup. The egg must go into gently simmering, not boiling, liquid and be added just before serving. Vigorous boiling can scatter the egg into cloudy shreds instead of soft, set ribbons.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, beef, chicken, potato, pepper, egg):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, beef, chicken, potato, pepper, 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.
You might also like
Indian Spiced Potato Soup with Tofu and Spinach448 recipes
Cream of Potato Soup38 recipes
Clear Carrot and Bottle Gourd Soup65 recipes
Mock Bisque Soup51 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.