Boiled Salad

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.

1. Endive + lettucetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together284 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).

2. Beetroot + lettucetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together678 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).

3. Beetroot + endivetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together132 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

4. Cauliflower + broccolitop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together127 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

5. Broccoli + lettucetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together181 recipes

   Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Boiled or baked onions

Provide the main cooked vegetable base and mild sweetness.

Baked beetroot

Adds earthy sweetness and a deep colour to the salad.

Cauliflower

Gives the salad bulk and a firm, tender bite once cooked.

Broccoli

Adds firm texture and body to the mixed vegetables.

Common salad dressing

Adds moisture and acidity that coat the vegetables and carry flavour.

Swap the onion

The recipe marks onion as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, beans, endive, lettuce):

1. Turnipfits better
2. Spinachfits better
3. Mustardfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, beans, endive, lettuce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.