Why it works: Dill and potato 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 ↓
Summer Borscht
Ingredients
Directions
Mix together soup stock and vegetables.
Boil until vegetables are done.
Cool the soup.
Add the cream and sour milk and serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Beet | 1/2 cup (85g) | 35 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
| Burdock | not in our table | 0 |
| Sorrel | 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.
-
Dill + potatotop 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 + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cream + buttermilktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together674 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
- Potatoes
- Break down as they cook to give the soup body and a thicker texture.
- Sweet cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, silky mouthfeel to the soup.
- Buttermilk
- Adds tang and acidity that brightens the rich, earthy soup.
- Beet greens
- Contribute earthy, leafy flavour and a green colour to the soup.
- Dill greens
- Add a fresh, herbal aroma that lifts the finished soup.
The step that matters
Cool the soup before adding the cream and buttermilk. Acidic buttermilk and rich cream can curdle or separate when they meet a very hot, boiling liquid. Cooling the soup first keeps the dairy smooth and the texture even.
Swap the burdock
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, onion, dill, potato, pepper, cream, buttermilk):
- Chivefits better
- Mustardfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Burdockthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, onion, dill, potato, pepper, cream, buttermilk. 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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