Why it works: Beef and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,971 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Green Pea Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the beef into small pieces and boil slowly for 1½ hours.
One hour before serving, add the shelled peas, season with salt and pepper, and add a little thickening if desired.
Strain the soup through a colander 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.
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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Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + peastop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,044 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Peas + peppertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,331 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef
- Simmers into the broth, giving it a savory, meaty flavor and body.
- Green peas
- Provide the main flavor, sweetness and green color of the soup.
- Thickening
- Thickens the liquid slightly, giving the soup more body.
The step that matters
Adding the peas one hour before serving. Peas cooked for too long lose their bright green color, turning dull olive, and their texture goes soft and mushy. Adding them late keeps the color fresher and the flavor brighter.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, pepper):
- Beansfits better
- Black-eyed peafits better
- Sesamefits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, pepper. 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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