Why it works: Lime and avocado match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,117 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Avocado-Mango Salsa
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl.
(Optional) Make 3 hours ahead and refrigerate.
Stir in diced avocado and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado | 1 medium (150g) | 240 |
| Mango | 1 cup diced (165g) | 99 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
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.
-
Lime + avocadotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,117 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Mango + limetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together506 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Tomato + avocadotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,385 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Onion + avocadotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,653 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Mango + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together225 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mango
- Provides sweetness and juicy body that balances the lime and chili.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavours and slows browning of the cut fruit.
- Avocado
- Adds creamy richness and fat that gives the salsa a smooth texture.
- Tomato
- Contributes moisture and mild acidity to the chunky texture.
The step that matters
Stir in the avocado at the end. Avocado browns quickly once cut and turns mushy when stirred too long or chilled for hours. Adding it last keeps its colour and diced texture intact.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mango, tomato, lime, avocado):
- Capsicumfits better
- Lettucefits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mango, tomato, lime, avocado. 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
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Tomato Bisque61 recipes
Cream Tomato Soup28 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.