Why it works: Peas and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,460 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Green Pea Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Combine 1/2 teacupful green peas, 1 or 2 finely chopped spring onions, a little butter, pepper, salt, a dessert spoonful of meal, and 1 gill of milk.
Cook and thicken
Cook the green peas and spring onions in 1/2 pint of water until quite tender.
Add the butter and seasoning, thicken the soup with the meal (which should be smoothed with the milk).
Boil the soup for a minute or two before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Water | 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.
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.
-
Peas + oniontop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,460 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Milk + peastop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,309 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
-
Milk + oniontop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,418 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green peas
- Provide the main body and flavour of the soup.
- Meal (in the method)
- Thickens the soup as it heats, giving it a smoother body.
- Milk
- Adds richness and softens the soup's flavour.
The step that matters
Thickening with the meal. Meal added straight to hot liquid can form lumps. Smoothing it with the milk first lets the starch disperse evenly, so the soup thickens smoothly as it heats.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, peas):
- Asparagusfits better
- Potatofits better
- Cauliflowerfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, peas. 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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