Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Peel and slice one dozen medium sized tomatoes.
Set sliced tomatoes on ice.
Make the dressing
Beat the yolks of four hard boiled eggs and one raw egg.
Add salt and mustard to taste.
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Slowly add half a cup of olive oil, a little at a time, whisking.
Add vinegar in the same way until the dressing reaches the right consistency and taste.
Serve
Pour dressing over tomatoes when ready to serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 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.
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 their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,539 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Olive oil
- Emulsified slowly into the eggs to form a thick, rich dressing.
- Eggs
- Yolks act as an emulsifier, holding the oil and vinegar together in the dressing.
- Tomatoes
- Form the body of the salad, providing moisture and fresh, slightly acidic flavour.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the dressing and balances the richness of the oil.
The step that matters
Slowly add the olive oil while whisking. Oil added too fast cannot be absorbed by the egg yolks, so the emulsion breaks and the dressing separates. Adding it a little at a time, while whisking, lets the yolk lecithin surround the droplets and keep the dressing smooth and thick.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, olive, egg, vinegar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Tomatothe original
- Mustardfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, olive, egg, 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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