Name: Chickpea and Carrot Salad
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 large cucumber, sliced; 15 mL (1 tbsp) chopped fresh dill or 2 mL (½ tsp) dried dill weed; 2 carrots, peeled and grated; 1 can (540 mL/19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 500 mL (1 pint) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise; 60 mL (¼ cup) chopped fresh basil; 45 mL (3 tbsp) balsamic vinegar; 15 mL (1 tbsp) basil pesto; 10 mL (2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 mL (¼ tsp) ground pepper

Why it works: Dill and carrot match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 321 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

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.

Dill + carrottop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together321 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,979 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Cucumber + dilltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together530 recipes

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

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together125 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Dill + basiltop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together154 recipes

Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

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

What each ingredient does

Chickpeas: Provide the bulk and firm, bite-sized texture that holds up well in a salad.
Balsamic vinegar: Adds acidity and sweetness that brighten the dressing and balance the oil.
Extra virgin olive oil: Carries fat-soluble flavours and gives the dressing a smooth, coating body.
Basil pesto: Contributes savoury, aromatic depth and emulsifying help to the dressing.
Cucumber: Adds cool, watery crunch and moisture to the salad.
Grape tomatoes: Add juiciness and a little acidity that flavour the salad as they release liquid.

The step that matters

Dress just before serving. Vinegar and salt-free dressing draw moisture from cucumber and tomatoes, so dressing too early leaves the salad soggy and diluted. Holding the dressing separate keeps the vegetables crisp.

Swap the grape

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, dill, carrot, chickpea, tomato, basil, vinegar):

Avocadofits better
Limefits better
Lemonfits better
Grapethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cucumber, dill, carrot, chickpea, tomato, basil, vinegar. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Chickpea	1/2 cup canned (120g) drained	134
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Grape	1/2 cup (76g)	62
Carrot	1 medium (61g)	25
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Cucumber	1/2 cup sliced (52g)	16
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1

Chickpea and Carrot Salad