Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Salsa Verde

Unlock the perfect flavour pairings for salsa verde according to data science. Explore unique recipes and discover the hidden mathematics of flavour.

Salsa verde is marked by the unmistakable flavour of garlic and coriander, yet its initial saltiness is only the opening note. Beneath lies a tapestry of delicate brine, hints of basil, and the sharp acidity of vinegar that give it remarkable depth. The key to a truly exceptional combination lies in recognising how these notes harmonise and interact.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our findings reveal, for instance, how anchovy's oceanic tones can enrich salsa verde, or how flank steak's ferrous notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the pungent aroma.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. herbal, acidic, and vegetal) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Art of Flavour Pairing

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Garlic Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of garlic is strongly associated with the flavour of iron. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a ironny flavour, such as flank steak, when pairing with the garlicy aromas of salsa verde.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing salsa verde with flank steak.

Harmonious Flavours Of Salsa Verde

Just as our analysis highlighted that garlic and ironny flavours often complement each other, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the notes present in salsa verde. For instance, the coriander flavours of salsa verde are strongly associated with capsicum and hot notes.

The notes associated with the various aroma notes of salsa verde can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of anchovy offers many of the notes complementary to salsa verde, including oceanic and saline notes. Because the flavour profile of anchovy has many of the of the features that are complementary to salsa verde, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of anchovy across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with salsa verde.

Recipes That Pair Salsa Verde With Anchovy

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of salsa verde, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of salsa verde, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma notes complementary to salsa verde.

What To Drink With Salsa Verde

The grassy notes in carrot juice make it a perfect pairing with salsa verde. Likewise, the grassy flavours in caipirinha create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of salsa verde below.

Which Vegetables Go With Salsa Verde?

Choose vegetables that anchor its sharpness or resonate with its bright spice. Jalapeño and green chilli offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Serrano pepper add a gentle, oniony brightness, while poblano pepper introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with salsa verde's sulfurousness. The addition of chayote, with its subtle starchy notes, can complement the sulfur beautifully, while jerusalem artichoke lends a fresh aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Salsa verde), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.