Why it works: Lettuce and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,655 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Lettuce Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and drain 2 or 3 lettuces.
Chop the lettuces finely.
Make the soup
Put the chopped lettuces into a pan with a little margarine, a tiny piece of onion cut very fine, pepper, and salt.
Fry the mixture for a few minutes.
Add 3 cups of white stock.
Add 2 tablespoonfuls of washed rice or semolina.
Cook until the rice is soft.
Rub the mixture through a sieve.
Add a pint of milk and bring to a boil.
Finish and serve
Just before serving, add a little cream.
Serve with fried croutons.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded (36g) | 5 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
| 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.
-
Lettuce + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,655 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,065 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Rice + lettucetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together520 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Ginger + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,800 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lettuces
- Form the bulk of the soup and give it its green, vegetable flavour when softened.
- White stock
- Provides the liquid base that carries the soup's flavour.
- Washed rice
- Swells as it cooks, thickening the soup and giving it body once sieved.
- Milk (in the method)
- Adds creaminess and softness to the soup's texture.
The step that matters
Rub the mixture through a sieve. Cooked rice and lettuce must be pressed through fully so the soup becomes smooth; lumps left behind give a grainy texture.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, lettuce, tomato, pepper):
- Celeryfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, lettuce, tomato, 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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