Why it works: Onion and garlic 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 ↓
Lentil-Bulgur Loaf
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the pan
Bake loaf up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in pan.
Reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with a sheet of parchment or wax paper and lightly coat the paper with cooking spray.
Make the base
In a food processor or blender, process flaxseeds to a coarse powder, add 1/3 cup cold water, and process until blended, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the work bowl with a rubber spatula.
Pour the flaxseed mixture into a small bowl, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, combine bulgur, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and boiling water, then let stand until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
Drain the bulgur mixture in a sieve, pressing out excess moisture, and set the bulgur aside.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add lentils and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain the lentils, rinse them under cold running water, and set them aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add carrots, garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne to the skillet and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl.
Pulse parsley in a food processor until chopped, then add bread and process until coarse crumbs form.
Add the bread crumbs to the onion mixture.
Add tofu to the food processor and process until smooth.
Add the reserved flaxseed mixture, 1 cup cooked lentils, lemon juice, pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the processor and process until smooth.
Transfer the tofu mixture to the bowl with the onion mixture and stir in the remaining cooked lentils and soaked bulgur until well combined.
Bake and serve
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly and pressing down.
Bake until the top is lightly browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients for garlic mayonnaise, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour.
Whisk the mayonnaise well before serving.
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of the loaf to loosen it, then invert a serving platter over the loaf.
Protect your hands with oven mitts, firmly grasp the pan and platter together, and turn the loaf over.
Remove the pan and peel off the paper.
Garnish the loaf with parsley.
Serve the loaf hot or at room temperature with garlic mayonnaise.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 17 of 23 ingredients. The other 6 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 17 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lentil | 1/2 cup cooked (99g) | 115 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Tarragon | 1 tsp dried (0.5g) | 2 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Flaxseed | not in our table | 0 |
| Bulgur | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Peppermint | not in our table | 0 |
| Chervil | 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 + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Flaxseed + lentilstop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Bulgur + lentilstop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Lentils + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together633 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
- Lentils
- Provide the main bulk and protein-rich body that holds the loaf together.
- Bulgur
- Absorbs liquid and adds a tender, chewy texture that keeps the loaf moist.
- Flaxseeds
- Form a gel with water that acts as a binder, helping the loaf hold its shape.
- Tofu
- Adds creamy moisture and helps bind the mixture into a smooth, sliceable base.
- Bread
- Its crumbs absorb moisture and add structure so the loaf stays set when baked.
- Onions
- Soften and sweeten during cooking, adding depth and moisture to the loaf.
The step that matters
Drain the bulgur and press out excess moisture. Bulgur that stays too wet adds extra liquid to the tofu mixture, which can make the loaf soggy and slow its setting in the oven.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flaxseed, bulgur, lentils, olive, onion, carrot, garlic):
- Cuminfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Turmericfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flaxseed, bulgur, lentils, olive, onion, carrot, garlic. 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
The 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.
Brown Bread461 recipes
Lemon Sauce236 recipes
Carrot Soup134 recipes
White Bread80 recipes