Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Beans and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans and potatoes
Soak beans overnight.
Pour water into pot, bring to a boil, add soaked beans, cook on low until beans are 90% tender.
Peel and cube potatoes, add to soup, keep cooking.
Make the onion and mushroom mixture
In a saucepan, fry chopped onions until golden.
Add mushrooms to the onions, fry until mushrooms are tender.
Finish and serve
When beans and potatoes are ready, add fried onion-mushroom mixture to soup.
Mix well, add salt, pepper, and other spices if desired.
Remove from heat and leave for 2-3 minutes to develop flavors.
Serve with fresh greens and, if desired, with vegan sour cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | not in our table | 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.
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + potatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together655 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + mushroomtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together411 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- White beans
- Provide the main body and creamy, hearty texture of the soup.
- Potatoes
- Thicken the soup slightly and add starchy body as they cook.
- Mushrooms
- Add savoury, umami depth and a tender, meaty texture.
- Onion
- Builds sweetness and aroma when fried until golden.
The step that matters
Cooking the beans to 90% tender. Beans finish softening in the hot soup later, so stopping at 90% keeps them intact while the potatoes and mushrooms are added. Undercooked dried beans can stay firm or cause digestive discomfort, so beans should be fully cooked before serving.
Swap the beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, mushroom, onion, pepper):
- Beansthe original
- Sesamefits about as well
- Chickpeafits less well
- Lentilsfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, mushroom, onion, 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.
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