Why it works: Asparagus and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,968 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove the tough ends from the asparagus heads.
Pulp half of the asparagus heads through a sieve.
Make the soup
Add the pulped asparagus to a pot with water and bring to a boil.
Cut the remaining asparagus heads and add them to the pot when the soup is nearly ready.
Finish and serve
Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.
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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Asparagus + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,968 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
- Asparagus
- Pulped asparagus gives the soup its body and smooth, vegetal flavour; reserved pieces add texture.
The step that matters
Adding the cut asparagus late. Asparagus turns dull olive-green and soft when boiled for long. Adding the cut heads only when the soup is nearly ready keeps them bright green with a slight bite.
“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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