Why it works: Cumin and avocado match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 415 recipes mention both. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓
The recipe
Serves 4Ingredients
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Mix 1 tbsp of the olive oil with the ground cumin and chilli powder in a bowl. Add the chicken breast fillets and turn to coat evenly.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
Meanwhile, toss the halved cherry tomatoes, finely chopped red onion and drained kidney beans together in a large bowl.
Rest the cooked chicken on a board for 3 minutes, then slice it thinly.
Tear the Little Gem lettuce leaves into a large serving bowl. Pick the coriander leaves from the pack and add them to the bowl.
Add the tomato, onion and bean mixture to the lettuce and coriander, then scatter the sliced chicken over the top.
Arrange the peeled avocado slices on top of the salad.
Spoon the Caesar dressing over the salad just before serving, and toss gently to combine.
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.
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Cumin + avocadotop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together415 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
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Cumin + coriandertop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,866 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Coriander + avocadotop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,094 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Lettuce + avocadotop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together464 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Olive + avocadotop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,376 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the cherry tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, cumin, chicken, onion, lettuce, coriander, avocado):
- Limebetter flavor fit
- Coconutbetter flavor fit
- Lemonbetter flavor fit
- Cherry tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, cumin, chicken, onion, lettuce, coriander, avocado. 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).
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