Why it works: Cucumber and chickpea match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 125 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
Cucumber Logs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut off the ends of the cucumbers, then cut each cucumber crosswise into 6 rounds and turn the pieces so they're flat.
Gently scoop out some of the flesh from the top of each cucumber round, making a cup.
Make and serve
In a food processor or blender, make the hummus by combining the chickpeas, oil, water, lemon juice and salt.
Puree, adding more water if needed for creaminess, then stir in black olives.
Spoon the mix into the hollowed out part of each cucumber round and arrange on a serving tray.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpea | 1/2 cup canned (120g) drained | 134 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| 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.
-
Cucumber + chickpeatop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together125 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Chickpea + olivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,015 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl butyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Chickpea + lemontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together527 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Cucumber + olivetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
-
Olive + lemontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,922 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chickpeas
- Provide the bulk and creamy body of the hummus filling.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor of the chickpea mixture.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Adds fat and smoothness to the puréed hummus.
- Cucumbers
- Serve as the crisp, cool edible cups that hold the filling.
The step that matters
Puree the hummus to a creamy texture. Chickpeas need enough blending and added water to become smooth; a grainy or stiff mix will not spoon neatly into the cucumber cups and feels less pleasant to eat.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, chickpea, olive):
- Avocadofits better
- Cherryfits better
- Limefits better
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cucumber, chickpea, olive. 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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