Why it works: Onion and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Mushroom Soup I
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup base
Sauté onion and bacon in a 6‑quart Dutch oven until golden, about 2–3 minutes.
Add mushrooms; cook until liquid evaporates, approximately 8 minutes.
Add flour, stirring for about 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and bouillon cube.
Add potatoes.
Cook approximately 20–25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Blend and finish
Transfer 2 cups of the soup mixture to a blender.
Blend until pureed.
Return to Dutch oven.
Stir in the heavy cream and parsley.
Simmer an additional 5 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
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 + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,172 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
-
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Chicken + potatotop 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
- Mushrooms
- Release their liquid as they cook, adding earthy flavor and body to the soup.
- Flour
- Thickens the broth into a smoother, more body-rich soup as it cooks briefly.
- Potatoes
- Break down partly when cooked and blended, giving the soup a creamy, thick texture.
- Heavy cream
- Adds fat and richness, softening the savory flavor and giving a silky mouthfeel.
- Bacon
- Renders fat that carries savory, smoky flavor through the onion and the soup.
The step that matters
Blending part of the soup. Blending only a portion, then returning it, thickens the soup while keeping some texture. Blending too much can make it gluey, and the potatoes must be fully tender first so the puree is smooth.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, mushroom, flour, chicken, potato, cream):
- Garlicfits better
- Thymefits better
- Celeryfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, mushroom, flour, chicken, potato, cream. 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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