Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 17,923 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tomatoes
Cut up fine one pint of canned tomatoes or four large raw ones.
Add one quart boiling water and let them boil.
Finish the soup
Add one-half teaspoon of soda when it will foam.
Immediately add one pint of sweet milk, with salt, pepper and plenty of butter.
When this boils add eight small crackers rolled fine, and serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + milktop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,226 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the main body and tangy flavour of the soup.
- Soda
- Reacts with the tomato acid, causing foaming and neutralizing some acidity.
- Sweet milk
- Adds creaminess and mellows the tomato acidity.
- Crackers
- Thicken the soup as they soften and absorb liquid.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and a silky mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Add the soda before the milk. Soda reacts with tomato acid and foams vigorously. Adding it just before the milk lets the reaction settle, so the milk is not curdled by excess acid and the soup stays smooth.
“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.
More tomato soup recipes
You might also like
Tomato Bisque61 recipes
Tomato Fritters23 recipes
Tomato Puree23 recipes
Macaroni with Tomato Sauce16 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.