Name: Chunky Greek Salad
Ingredients: 1 medium cucumber, chopped, 7 ounces; 2 cups diced tomato, about 12 ounces; ¼ cup red onion, chopped, 1¼ ounces; 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled; ¼ cup Caesar salad dressing

Why it works: Cucumber and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,405 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Chunky Greek Salad

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber, chopped, 7 ounces
2 cups diced tomato, about 12 ounces
¼ cup red onion, chopped, 1¼ ounces
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup Caesar salad dressing

Directions

Mix all ingredients and chill well before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

195Calories

10 gProtein

10 gFat

19 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Feta Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Cucumber	1/2 cup sliced (52g)	16
Salad Dressing	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.

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.

Cucumber + tomatotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,405 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Cucumber + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,050 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

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

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together369 recipes

Shared aroma: hexyl acetate (fruity, apple).
Tomato + feta cheesetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together828 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Feta cheese: Adds salty, tangy richness and a creamy crumble that contrasts the crisp vegetables.
Tomato: Adds moisture and acidic sweetness that brightens the salad.
Cucumber: Adds crisp texture and cooling moisture.
Red onion: Adds sharp, pungent flavour and aroma.
Caesar salad dressing: Adds fat, acidity and seasoning that coat the vegetables.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, tomato, feta cheese):

Eggplantfits better
Capsicumfits better
Spinachfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cucumber, tomato, feta cheese. 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.

Tomato Salad179 recipes

Chicken Salad623 recipes

Salad Dressing491 recipes

Cold Slaw160 recipes

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Chunky Greek Salad