Why it works: Peas and mint are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,137 recipes mention both. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Plain Pease Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Simmer
Combine split peas, celery, and broth or water in a pot.
Simmer gently over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
If the soup thickens too much, add boiling water as needed.
Strain and serve
Once softened, strain the mixture through a coarse sieve, then a fine sieve.
Return the strained soup to the pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum.
Serve with fried bread and dried mint on the side.
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.
-
Peas + minttop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together1,137 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Celery + minttop 11% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together334 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Peas + breadtop 11% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together804 recipes
Shared aroma: hexyl acetate (fruity, apple).
-
Peas + celerytop 12% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together1,832 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Celery + breadtop 16% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,110 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Split peas
- Form the main body of the soup and thicken it as their starch softens and breaks down.
- Celery
- Adds savory, aromatic flavor to the soup base.
- Broth or soft water
- Provides the cooking liquid that softens the peas and sets the soup's moisture.
The step that matters
Simmer gently over low heat. Split peas thicken as their starch swells and breaks down, and they scorch easily on the pot bottom. Low heat and regular stirring keep the soup smooth, while adding boiling water controls thickness.
Flavor stand-ins for the celery
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peas, bread, mint):
- Marjorambetter flavor fit
- Parsleybetter flavor fit
- Thymebetter flavor fit
- Celerythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peas, bread, mint. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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 pea soup recipes
You might also like
Brown Bread461 recipes
Green Peas229 recipes
Cream of Celery Soup113 recipes
White Bread80 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.