Why it works: Apple and cider are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,238 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Combine spinach, apple, raisins and green onion in a large bowl; refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Combine vegetable oil, cider vinegar, chutney, curry powder, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Pour over salad; toss well to coat.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Apple | 1 medium (182g) | 95 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Green Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Cider | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Apple + cidertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,238 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Spinach + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together503 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,431 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
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Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Spinach leaves
- Forms the leafy base that the dressing coats and carries.
- Red apple
- Adds crisp texture and natural sweetness that balances the tangy dressing.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness.
- Vegetable oil
- Carries the curry and mustard flavours and gives the dressing body.
- Cider vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and cuts the oil.
The step that matters
Toss well to coat. The dressing is an oil and vinegar emulsion that only partly mixes, so it must be tossed thoroughly to spread evenly over the leaves and apple. Uncoated spots taste bland or harsh, and leaves left to sit in the dressing without tossing can wilt unevenly.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (spinach, apple, onion, cider, vinegar, mustard):
- Plumfits better
- Pearfits better
- Avocadofits better
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against spinach, apple, onion, cider, vinegar, mustard. 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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