Why it works: Dill and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,630 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Summer Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp and brown; drain, crumble and place in a medium bowl.
Add beans, 1 teaspoon salt, onion and dill weed; toss gently.
Dress and chill
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; whisk until well-blended.
Pour dressing over bean mixture; toss gently to coat.
Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Green beans + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together226 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Dill + olivetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,223 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Vinegar + olivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green beans
- Form the main body of the salad and provide its crisp texture.
- Bacon
- Adds savory, salty flavor and fat from rendered drippings.
- Vinegar
- Provides acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the sugar.
- Olive oil
- Carries flavor in the dressing and adds richness and moisture.
- Sugar
- Softens the sharpness of the vinegar for a balanced sweet-sour taste.
- Onion
- Adds sharp, aromatic flavor that mellows during chilling.
The step that matters
Refrigerate about 2 hours before serving. Chilling lets the dressing soak into the beans and onion, so the flavors blend and the salad tastes evenly seasoned rather than sharp on the surface.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, dill, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive):
- Mustardfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, dill, vinegar, sugar, pepper, olive. 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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