Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with 2 gallons of cold water.
Set the pot on the back of the stove to cook slowly for 3 hours, skimming the surface several times during cooking.
Once cooked, move the pot to a heat source that allows it to boil slowly.
Finish the soup
Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with a little cold water to create a paste, then add to the pot to thicken.
Stir in 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of cream or sweet milk.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving, add chopped parsley and thyme.
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.
-
Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Pepper + thymetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Chicken + ricetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,769 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Rice + parsleytop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,762 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
- Flour
- Thickens the broth as it cooks, giving the soup body.
- Rice
- Absorbs liquid and softens, adding bulk and body to the soup.
- Cream or sweet milk
- Adds richness and a smooth, mellow texture to the broth.
The step that matters
Mixing the flour paste. Flour added directly to hot liquid forms lumps, so it must be whisked smooth in cold water first. Starch then thickens the broth as it heats, and the soup should keep a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil.
Swap the thyme
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, flour, rice, cream, pepper, parsley):
- Turmericfits about as well
- Celeryfits about as well
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Thymethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, flour, rice, cream, pepper, parsley. 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.
More chicken soup recipes
You might also like
Chicken Broth257 recipes
Creamed Chicken89 recipes
Rice Fritters84 recipes
Chicken Panada75 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.