Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 17,923 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
In a pot, combine the canned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Add the boiling water and cook until heated through.
Stir in the baking soda just before adding the milk.
Add the milk and heat gently, then serve immediately.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Tomato + milktop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,226 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Canned tomatoes
- Provide the main body, flavor and acidity of the soup.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess, softness and richness to the soup.
- Baking soda
- Neutralizes some tomato acidity, which helps keep the milk from curdling.
The step that matters
Adding the milk. Tomatoes are acidic, and acid can make milk curdle when heated. Stirring in baking soda first raises the pH so the milk is more stable. Heating gently, without boiling, helps the soup stay smooth.
“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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