Why it works: Olive and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,297 recipes. Both carry isoamyl acetate, which smells banana, fruity. The science ↓
Lima Beans Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cook lima beans.
Mix pimento with beans.
Dress and serve
Combine oil, vinegar, horseradish, catsup, salt and pepper, let stand at least 30 minutes, then place on lettuce leaves.
Pour over French dressing and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 4 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Horseradish | not in our table | 0 |
| Pimento | 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.
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.
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.
-
Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Olive + horseradishtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together475 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Vinegar + horseradishtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Olive oil
- Carries the dressing's flavour and gives it a smooth, rich mouthfeel.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the oil.
- Horseradish
- Contributes a sharp, pungent aroma and heat that cut through the beans.
- Minced pimento
- Adds mild sweetness and a soft, mellow flavour to the salad.
The step that matters
Letting the dressing stand. Standing gives the acid and seasonings time to soak into the cooked beans, so flavour goes beyond the surface. Oil and vinegar separate quickly, so stir the dressing well before it is poured.
Swap the horseradish
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, vinegar):
- Tomatofits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Horseradishthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, 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.
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