Why it works: Celery and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,810 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Bean Salad
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the drained red kidney beans, chopped celery, chopped onions, chopped pickles, and chopped green pepper. Add a dash of cayenne and mix well.
Blend in a little salad dressing to taste.
Garnish with sprigs of parsley 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 their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Celery + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,810 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Red kidney beans
- Provide the main body and bulk of the salad.
- Celery
- Adds crisp texture and fresh, mild crunch.
- Onions
- Add sharp aroma and a pungent bite.
- Pickles
- Contribute acidity and a tangy flavor.
- Green pepper
- Adds crunch and a fresh, slightly bitter vegetal note.
Swap the kidney beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (celery, onion, pepper, parsley):
- Black-eyed peafits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Kidney beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against celery, onion, pepper, parsley. 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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