Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 81,283 recipes mention both. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Sister Mollie's Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Combine tomatoes and water in a large pot.
Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes.
Stir in rolled cracker crumbs and butter.
Season with pepper and coarse sea salt.
Finish and serve
Add hot milk and stir well.
In a soup tureen, mix baking soda with the soup before serving.
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.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Tomato + milktop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,226 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Tomato + buttertop 22% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together6,918 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the main body, flavor, and acidity of the soup.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and softens the tomato's sharp flavor.
- Rolled cracker crumbs
- Absorb liquid and thicken the soup slightly.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richer flavor and smoother mouthfeel.
- Baking soda
- Neutralizes some of the tomato's acidity, mellowing the flavor.
The step that matters
Adding the hot milk. Tomatoes are acidic, and combining them with milk can cause the milk proteins to curdle, especially when heated. Stirring the milk in well and serving promptly helps keep the soup smooth. Baking soda is added to reduce acidity.
“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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