Why it works: Marjoram and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,609 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Pease Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Rinse the split peas and combine them with the cold water in a large pot.
Add the bacon, beef bones, or anchovies.
Wash and cut the celery, then add it along with the peeled onions and herbs.
Simmer
Simmer gently over low heat for about 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent sticking.
Optionally, fry sliced celery and onions in butter until lightly browned, then add to the soup.
Once the peas are tender, strain the soup through a coarse sieve, then through a fine sieve or tamis.
Finish and serve
Return the strained soup to the pot, add black pepper, and boil for another 10 minutes, skimming off any fat that rises.
Serve hot with toasted bread.
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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Marjoram + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Celery + marjoramtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together615 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 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
- Break down during long simmering to thicken the soup and give it body.
- Bacon
- Adds savory fat and smoky flavor to the broth as it simmers.
- Celery
- Contributes aromatic, vegetal flavor that builds the soup's background taste.
- Onions
- Add sweetness and savory depth as they soften and release flavor into the broth.
The step that matters
Stirring while the soup simmers. Split peas are starchy and settle onto the bottom of the pot, where they scorch and stick easily. Regular stirring over low heat keeps them suspended and prevents a burnt taste.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, celery, onion, marjoram, pepper, bread):
- Beansfits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Chestnutfits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, celery, onion, marjoram, pepper, bread. 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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