Dinner-sized salads have a place on TikTok: Keep up with the trends with these 7 ideas

Scrolling through TikTok feeds and feeling a little hungry is nothing new. But the latest food trend on For You Pages is a little more eco-friendly than candy-coated “cracked grapes” or baked berry oatmeal. Plenty of dinner-sized salads are taking over TikTok, and some quick and easy dinner ideas look downright delicious.

But these giant vegetable bowls are no ordinary salad. Instead, TikTokers are making specialty salads that include carbs, fats, vegetables and protein as a full meal. Corn, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, chicken, turkey, chickpeas, cheese and more – these foodies are here to prove that anything you can think of can be mixed into a salad.

From classics like Greek or Caesar salad to summer salads made with kale, pasta, goat cheese and more, Yahoo Life talked to TikTokers who are changing the salad game through viral videos. Curious about what to make for dinner tonight? These types of “big salads” may be the perfect way to please everyone at the table.

Vegan Grilled Chopped Chickpea Salad
For those who follow a plant-based diet but still want a filling and delicious salad for an entire meal, Danielle Brown is changing the game. On her account @healthygirlkitchen, nearly 2 million TikTok users have watched Brown create healthy plant-based meals that are not only easy to make, but also delicious.

One of her most popular salads is the Vegan Grilled Chickpea Salad, inspired by one of her favorite restaurant dishes. “This grilled ground meat chickpea salad is a completely vegetarian version of grilled chicken salad,” Brown tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I used to always order the grilled chicken salad at California Pizza Kitchen, and this salad was inspired by it.”

“I knew I had to figure out how to make a meatless version,” she said. “I switched to chickpeas because they’re protein-rich, nutritious and great for salads.”

To make Brown’s vegetarian version a restaurant favorite, mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, corn, cilantro, chickpeas (sauteed in barbecue sauce), avocado, tortilla chips, red onions and vegan ranch dressing.

Grinded Salad
Darlene, founder of The Salad Lab, took a popular sandwich style and gave it a salad-inspired twist.

“The original grinder was a [deli] sandwich with chopped curly lettuce on top, then a mayonnaise-based red wine vinaigrette and garlic, some Italian spices and sometimes chopped banana peppers or pepperoni,” says Darlene, who likes to omit the last name, of the New England staple, which usually comes in served in long rolls similar to Italian bread. “I thought, ‘Why not make the whole sandwich a salad?’ Because that’s what I did.”

Her viral salad, which has received more than a million views, contains mayonnaise, spices, red onions, banana peppers, red wine vinegar, curly lettuce, croutons, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, cheese and Italian deli meat.

“I think it resonates with a lot of people because most of the ingredients are staples that we keep in the fridge and pantry,” she says. “Who doesn’t love a good Italian deli sandwich?”

Chicken Guacamole
Shantelle Amigable, known as @ChipsInASandwich by her nearly 600,000 TikTok followers, came up with a recipe for chicken guacamole that has garnered more than 15 million views.

Made with diced bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, avocados and herbs, topped with quinoa, chicken and lemon hummus dressing, it’s definitely worth bookmarking.

“When I think of the perfect salad, I think colorful [and] big, with just the right amount of equal parts vegetables, grains, protein and healthy fats,” she shares. “I love avocados. I like quinoa. I like tomatoes. So when I came up with this, I almost wanted it to mimic a salsa or a dip that I could easily eat with a spoon without feeling guilty.”

The best part of this salad? Amigable says it can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days without changing its flavor.

“Jennifer Aniston” Salad
Ariana Negri, who posts on TikTok as @the_bottomlesspit, has recreated popular recipes from Friends before, but one of her most recent creations is the salad Jennifer Aniston ate every day on the set of the popular sitcom.

“I found multiple different recipes on the Internet and decided to make my own version,” Negri says. “I never thought my video would go viral.” “As for the recipe itself, it was a breeze to make because all of the ingredients are raw except for the cooking quinoa,” she continues. “The salad is also gluten-free and vegan, so it’s easy to buy. The freshness of the cucumber complements the saltiness of the pickled onions and feta, which is a match made in heaven.”

To make Negri’s version of the Anniston classic, chickpeas, cucumber, parsley, mint, feta cheese, pickled red onion, pistachios, quinoa, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil are blended together. Another trendy salad, shared by food blogger Eat Bird Food, uses lemon juice instead of balsamic in the dressing.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Kathleen Ashmore, the person behind @KatCanCook, is known for her simple, healthy recipes that can take any meal from monotonous to delicious. As part of her “Hungry Lady Salad” series, Ashmore created a chopped Mediterranean salad with roasted red pepper sauce that nearly broke the Internet. The salad received more than 5 million views on TikTok, leading to Ashmore’s recipe appearing on The Rachael Ray Show.

“The dressing is really where the magic is,” she says. “I loved experimenting with ingredients like avocados, nut butter and leafy greens as the base for the dressing, and I suddenly realized that roasted red peppers add so much body and flavor and already have a rich sweetness built in.”

The beautiful salad includes lettuce, cabbage, red onions, cherry tomatoes, parsley, green olives, mozzarella and chickpeas. To make the dressing, roasted red peppers, garlic, honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil are mixed and then seasoned.

“The best part is that the dressing has only five ingredients,” she adds, “and it blends together in less than 30 seconds in the blender.”

Tabbouleh Salad
Arash Hashemi, founder of @KetoRecipes, is known for the “bangin'” low-carb salads he developed during his weight loss journey. Since Hashemi decided to share his salad creations with the world, one of his most popular salads is the low-carb tabbouleh salad, with nearly 3 million views.

For the recipe, Hashemi shares a tip that he believes is a complete game changer.

“One thing I like to do is make ‘little snowflakes’ out of cauliflower rice,” he says. “The cauliflower rice we buy from the supermarket can be thick and large and not very tasty. By throwing cauliflower florets in a food processor for a few seconds, they become [light and flaky], and I use them for a lot of dishes,” he explains. “I use it instead of dried wheat or steamed couscous for my low-carb tabbouleh salad, and it’s absolutely delicious.”

To make Hashemi’s version of tabbouleh, a salad usually made with ground dry wheat, mix together rice cauliflower, cucumber, shallots, tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint and garlic, then sprinkle with good quality olive oil and sea salt.

Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh “Editorial Meeting Salad”
Shannon Doherty, mom of four and creator of @AtHomeWithShannon, created a salad TikTok on the reality star’s lifestyle and wellness site Poosh, inspired by Kourtney Kardashian’s ” Editor’s Meeting” salad recipe.

“I love making salads in the summer, and one of my favorite salads is this one, inspired by Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh salad recipe,” says Doherty. “It’s so easy to make, and the grilled chicken marinated in orange juice is definitely the secret.”

For this salad, Doherty uses long-leaf lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumbers, avocados and cherry tomatoes. To the vegetables, she adds chicken marinated in orange juice, then tops it with a lemon mustard dressing and sunflower seeds.

“It was so refreshing and my whole family loved it,” says Dougherty of the colorful dish. “The sunflower seeds are a great crunchy addition, too.”

“Courtney makes it with long-leaf lettuce, but my favorite is the cabbage,” she continues. “I also added cherry tomatoes, but those are optional. The salad is filling and keeps well [in the refrigerator] for a few days.”