Why it works: Cauliflower and asparagus match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 163 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Russian Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the cold string beans, cold peas, cauliflower florets, asparagus tips, and beets in a large bowl, then toss gently to mix the vegetables.
Serve with your choice of French dressing or mayonnaise dressing.
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.
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.
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Cauliflower + asparagustop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together163 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Beans + asparagustop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together292 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beans + cauliflowertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together290 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
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Peas + asparagustop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together808 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Peas + cauliflowertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together313 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- String beans
- Provide the main crisp, tender bulk of the salad.
- Peas
- Add sweetness and a soft texture contrast to the vegetables.
- Cauliflower
- Adds mild body and a firm, crunchy texture to the salad.
- Asparagus tips
- Contribute tender texture and a delicate, grassy flavor.
- Beets
- Add earthy sweetness and a bright color to the salad.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, cauliflower, asparagus):
- Lentilsfits better
- Lima beansfits about as well
- Peasthe original
- Chestnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against beans, cauliflower, asparagus. 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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