Why it works: Onion and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Collards and Cabbage
Ingredients
Directions
Make the greens
Combine the collard greens, bacon, onion, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and water.
Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the cabbage cut into 8 wedges and butter or oil.
Cook for 15 minutes or longer until vegetables are tender.
Correct the seasoning to your taste.
Strain before serving if water has not been absorbed.
Serve
Serve in a 2-quart bowl.
Ham hocks previously cooked may be substituted for bacon, but save the water in which ham hocks were cooked to use as the liquid for the recipe.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Collard Greens | 1 cup (36g) raw | 11 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| 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 + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 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
- Collard greens
- Provide the main leafy body of the dish, becoming tender as they simmer slowly.
- Bacon
- Adds smoky fat and savoury flavour to the cooking liquid and greens.
- Onion
- Contributes sweetness and aromatic depth as it softens in the pot.
- Cabbage (in the method)
- Adds sweetness and tender body as it cooks down in the seasoned liquid.
The step that matters
Simmer until the vegetables are fully tender. Collard greens are tough and need long, gentle simmering to break down their fibres. Cooking too briefly leaves them chewy and bitter, so check that they are tender before serving.
“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
Onion Pudding9 recipes
Eggplant Cakes34 recipes
Escalloped Tomatoes (Scalloped Tomatoes)25 recipes
Parsnip Croquettes12 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.