Why it works: Dill and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 669 recipes. Both carry p-mentha-1,3,8-triene, which smells camphor, herbal. The science ↓
Dried Beans, Greek Style
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans
Wash and boil the beans in salt water. Drain.
Fry and combine
Fry the finely chopped onion in oil.
When the onion is softened, add the chopped dill, parsley, lovage and let fry until softened.
Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and the boiled and drained green beans, then mix and let fry for a few minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Lovage | 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.
-
Dill + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together669 recipes
Shared aroma: p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (camphor, herbal).
-
Parsley + lovagetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together15 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Green beans + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together113 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
- Green beans
- Form the bulk of the dish; boiling first softens them so they finish tender in the pan.
- Green onions
- Provide a mild, sweet aromatic base that softens and flavors the frying oil.
- Tomato sauce
- Adds acidity, color and a touch of sweetness as it cooks down with the beans.
- Oil
- Conducts heat for frying and carries aromatic compounds from the herbs and onion.
- Dill
- Contributes a bright, fresh aroma that softens and mellows with frying.
- Parsley
- Adds a fresh, grassy aroma and some green color to the finished dish.
The step that matters
Boiling the beans before frying. The beans are already cooked when boiled, so they only need to heat through in the pan. Boiling them too long leaves them mushy after the second cooking.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (dill, parsley, lovage, onion, tomato, sauce, pepper):
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against dill, parsley, lovage, onion, tomato, sauce, 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.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Green Peas229 recipes
Green Pea Soup181 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 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.