Why it works: Onion and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,633 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Baked Lima Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Fry vegan bacon in oil in a non-stick frying pan until crisp on both sides (about 10 minutes).
Chop the cooked bacon into very small pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook lima beans in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Drain the cooked lima beans.
Bake and serve
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a medium-size oven-proof baking dish.
Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lima Bean | 1/2 cup (85g) cooked | 108 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
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 + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Lima beans + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together131 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Lima beans + oniontop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together331 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,469 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sauce + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together280 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lima beans
- Form the bulk of the dish, becoming tender and soft as they cook in the oven.
- Molasses
- Adds dark sweetness and a rich, deep flavour while helping the surface brown.
- Tomato sauce
- Provides liquid and acidity that moisten the beans and blend the flavours during baking.
- Nutritional yeast
- Contributes a savoury, cheesy-tasting flavour that adds depth to the sauce.
- Vegan bacon
- Adds smoky, savoury flavour and a crisp texture once fried and chopped.
Swap the lima beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, tomato, sauce, molasses):
- Beansfits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Sesamefits better
- Lima beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, tomato, sauce, molasses. 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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