Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Shopska Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peppers
Bake, peel and seed the peppers.
Make the salad
Cut into small strips and add the diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.
Add salt, oil and vinegar, and mix.
Serve
Serve in the shape of a pyramid, top with chopped parsley and grated cheese.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Sunflower Oil | 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.
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Tomato + cucumbertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,405 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Parsley + sunflowertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together256 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Cucumber + parsleytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,564 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide juice and bulk, adding moisture and fresh acidity to the salad.
- Peppers
- Provide the main body and a sweet, smoky flavour once baked and peeled.
- Brined sheep's cheese
- Adds salty, tangy flavour and a crumbly texture as a topping.
- Sunflower oil
- Adds fat that carries flavour and gives the dressing a smooth mouthfeel.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the vegetables and balances the oil.
The step that matters
Baking and peeling the peppers. Baking blisters the skin so it peels off easily, and the heat softens the flesh and concentrates its sweetness. Leaving the skin on makes the salad tough and bitter.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, cucumber, pepper, cheese, parsley, vinegar, sunflower):
- Capsicumfits better
- Lettucefits better
- Mustardfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, cucumber, pepper, cheese, parsley, vinegar, sunflower. 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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