Why it works: Onion and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,259 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Vegetable Soup Meatloaf
Ingredients
Directions
Make and shape the loaf
Mix vegetable soup, egg, bread crumbs, onion, green pepper, and seasonings together.
Blend mixture thoroughly with ground beef.
Shape into a loaf and place in shallow baking pan.
Bake
Bake at 350°F for 1½ hours.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | 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.
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Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + mustardtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + beeftop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 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
- Ground beef
- Provides the main protein and fat, forming the body of the loaf.
- Egg
- Binds the mixture so the loaf holds its shape when sliced.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb moisture and help keep the loaf tender and juicy.
- Vegetable soup
- Adds moisture and savory flavour to the meat mixture.
- Onion
- Adds aroma and sweetness as it softens during baking.
The step that matters
Blend mixture thoroughly with ground beef. Mixing the wet binder evenly through the meat distributes the egg and crumbs so the loaf sets uniformly and holds together, rather than crumbling in pockets.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, bread, onion, pepper, beef):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Chivefits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, bread, onion, pepper, beef. 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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