Tostada Salad

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.

1. Lettuce + cabbagetop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together622 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

2. Carrot + tomatotop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together3,606 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

3. Tomato + corntop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,099 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

4. Lettuce + carrottop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together976 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).

5. Carrot + corntop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together794 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Lettuce

Forms the crisp, leafy base that holds the other toppings.

Ground beef

Adds savoury, meaty richness and bulk to the salad.

Kidney beans

Add body and starch, making the salad more filling.

Cheddar cheese

Adds salty, fatty richness that balances the tangy vegetables.

Corn chips

Provide crunch that softens as the dressing and meat sauce are tossed in.

1000 island salad dressing

Adds moisture, sweetness and tang that coat the greens.

Swap the cabbage

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lettuce, carrot, onion, tomato, cheddar cheese, corn, meat):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Potatofits better
3. Chivefits better
4. Cabbagethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against lettuce, carrot, onion, tomato, cheddar cheese, corn, meat. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.