Why it works: Onion and carrot are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 21,601 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Pea Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak the split peas for 6 to 8 hours.
Slice the onions and fry them until light gold.
Slice the carrots and fry them as well.
Make the soup
In a saucepan, combine the fried onions, carrots, and enough water for the desired soup quantity.
Add the soaked peas and simmer gently until tender.
Rub the mixture through a sieve with a wooden spoon.
Return the puree to a clean pot and heat 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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Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Peas + carrottop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,994 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
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Peas + oniontop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,460 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
- Split peas
- Provide the main body and thickening starch that gives the soup its texture.
- Portugal onions
- Frying builds sweetness and savory aroma that forms the soup's base flavor.
- Carrots
- Add natural sweetness and color, and contribute body when pureed.
The step that matters
Simmer the peas gently until tender. Vigorous boiling can break the peas apart unevenly and scorch the bottom of the pot, while gentle heat softens them evenly so they puree smoothly.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, carrot):
- Beansfits better
- Sesamefits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, carrot. 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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