Why it works: Potato and dill work together. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 423 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Potato Soup II
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Start some onions sautéing in a little butter or oil. Maybe one large onion, chopped fine.
Peel a few potatoes and chop into small pieces. When the onions are done, add the potatoes, and some salt to taste.
Make the soup
Add 3-4 cups of chicken stock. Cook on low heat until the potatoes are tender. Add 3 cups of milk, some cooked peas, herbs (dill would be nice) and fresh pepper.
Add about 8 oz of chopped lox, which can be had inexpensively as trimmings at many delis.
Smoked haddock works well here, too.
Heat thoroughly and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Haddock | 100g cooked | 112 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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 + dilltop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together423 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + chickentop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,756 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
-
Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes (in the method)
- Break down during simmering to thicken the soup and give it body.
- Chicken stock
- Provides the liquid base that cooks the potatoes and carries the flavour.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and a mild richness to the soup.
- Lox
- Contributes salty, smoky flavour and a silky texture when warmed through.
- Onions
- Sautéed to build a sweet, savoury aromatic base.
The step that matters
Cook the potatoes until tender before adding the milk. Potatoes must be fully softened so they thicken the soup and blend smoothly. Adding milk and heating too hard afterward can cause it to curdle or scorch, so keep the heat low once the milk goes in.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, potato, chicken, milk, dill, pepper, haddock):
- Beansfits better
- Sesamefits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, potato, chicken, milk, dill, pepper, haddock. 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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