Name: Benihana Oriental Salad Dressing
Ingredients: ½ cup soy oil; 2 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp msg (optional); ½ tbsp salt; ½ tbsp ginger; ½ cup sliced celery; ¼ cup coarsely chopped onion

Why it works: Tomato and celery are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,377 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Benihana Oriental Salad Dressing

Time3 to 4 seconds

Ingredients

Directions

Mix oil, vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, msg, salt, ginger, celery and onion in blender container.
Blend at medium speed 3 to 4 seconds until celery is finely grated.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

205Calories

4 gProtein

14 gFat

18 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Tomato + celerytop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,377 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ginger + celerytop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together988 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ginger + oniontop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,595 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

Soy oil: Forms the base of the dressing and carries the flavours, giving it a smooth body.
White vinegar: Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the oil and sweetness.
Tomato paste: Adds concentrated savoury flavour and a deeper colour to the dressing.
Soy sauce: Contributes salty, savoury depth that rounds out the dressing.
Celery: Adds fresh vegetable flavour and texture when finely grated into the dressing.

The step that matters

Blend for only 3 to 4 seconds. Over-blending can heat the mixture and break the oil into a foamy or overly emulsified texture, while too little leaves the celery and onion in coarse pieces. Short pulses let the vegetables break down finely without overworking the dressing.

Swap the ginger

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, tomato, sauce, celery, onion):

Garlicfits better
Tarragonfits better
Capersfits better
Gingerthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, tomato, sauce, celery, onion. 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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Benihana Oriental Salad Dressing