Why it works: Shallot and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 859 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Mosterdsoep
Ingredients
Directions
Sautee the shallot in the butter.
Add the mustard.
Now add the flour, and cook for a minute or two.
Slowly pour in the stock to create a smooth soup.
Add the cream.
Cook until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper.
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 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Shallot | 1 tbsp minced (10g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| 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.
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.
-
Shallot + mustardtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together859 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Shallot + flourtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,081 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Shallot + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,898 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Fat that cooks the shallot and carries flavor into the soup base.
- Flour
- Thickens the soup by cooking with the butter to form a roux that the stock loosens.
- Chicken stock
- Forms the liquid body of the soup.
- Cream or crème fraîche
- Adds richness and a smoother, rounder texture to the soup.
- Grainy and smooth mustard
- Provides the sharp, pungent mustard flavor and some texture from the grainy variety.
The step that matters
Cooking the flour into the butter. Cooking the flour for a minute or two removes its raw taste and lets it thicken the stock evenly. Adding stock too fast or without stirring can leave lumps.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shallot, butter, flour, chicken, cream, pepper):
- Leekfits better
- Chivefits better
- Spinachfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against shallot, butter, flour, chicken, cream, pepper. 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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