Why it works: Celery and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,518 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Potato and Onion or Celery Chowder
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
In a pot, combine 2 tablespoons raw nut butter, 1 pint water, and 2 or 3 sliced onions.
Rub the nut butter with water until smooth, heat the mixture to boiling, add salt, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the vegetables and finish
Add 1 pint potato in small pieces and cook until tender.
Finish by adding water and cream, or water alone.
Optionally, add 1 cup finely-sliced celery with the potato instead of the onion, and add chopped parsley at the end.
If desired, omit the nut butter and use cream instead.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| 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.
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.
-
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Nut butter (in the method)
- Adds body and richness, and thickens the broth as it is dispersed in the water.
- Onions
- Provides sweetness and aroma as they soften in the liquid.
- Potato (in the method)
- Its starch thickens the chowder and gives it a creamy, filling texture as it cooks.
The step that matters
Rubbing the nut butter smooth into the water. If the nut butter is not fully dispersed before boiling, it stays in lumps and will not thicken or blend evenly into the liquid, leaving a grainy chowder.
“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.
You might also like
Cream of Celery Soup113 recipes
Celery Stew25 recipes
Celery Croquettes16 recipes
Celery Cream Soup15 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.