Name: Lithuanian Mixed Vegetable Salad
Ingredients: 1 c. sliced, cold cooked carrots; 1 c. diced, cold cooked beets; 2 c. diced, cold cooked potatoes; 1 c. cold cooked green peas; 2 tsp. minced dill pickles; 1 c. sour cream; 1/4 tsp. cayenne; Salt and pepper to taste; Crisp salad greens, washed and dried

Why it works: Carrot and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 321 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Lithuanian Mixed Vegetable Salad

Time1 hour or more

Ingredients

Directions

Combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate 1 hour or more to blend flavors.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

399Calories

28 gProtein

2 gFat

71 gCarbs

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
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Pea	1/2 cup (72g)	62
Beet	1/2 cup (85g)	35
Carrot	1 medium (61g)	25
Cayenne	1 tsp (1.8g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Salad	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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together321 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Potato + dilltop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together423 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Carrot + potatotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,107 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,630 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Carrot + peppertop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,555 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

Sour cream: Adds creaminess and moisture, binding the vegetables into a rich dressing.
Potatoes: Provide bulk and a soft, starchy body that absorbs the dressing.
Beets: Add color and a mild sweetness to the salad.

Swap the peas

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (carrot, potato, dill, cream, pepper):

Beansfits better
Chickpeafits better
Lentilsfits better
Peasthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against carrot, potato, dill, cream, pepper. 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.