Chopped salads first made their mark on dining in 1950s Los Angeles. Legend has it that Hollywood starlets asked the chef at hotspot La Scala for a dish that was easier to eat in their formalwear, and the chopped salad was born.

Whether or not you believe the story, there’s no denying that chopped salads are all the rage again. Home cooks on TikTok and Instagram are chopping up their own versions with unique ingredients—and getting millions of views. At the same time, chefs and menu developers are elevating and honing their own salads, finely chopping, dicing and shredding the ingredients while dialing up the dressing for a flavorful kick in every bite.

The following five viral salads not only reveal contemporary consumer preferences but also offer a jumping-off point for future innovation.

1

The La Scala(ish): Channel the OG Obsession

Perhaps the original viral salad, the La Scala showcases Mediterranean flavors through key ingredients like mozzarella, salami and chickpeas while opening the door to new additions like artichoke hearts.

It’s hard to go wrong with a classic, and the original La Scala combination of lettuce, salami, mozzarella and chickpeas tossed with a tangy vinaigrette hits some great crunchy, salty notes; one TikToker likened it to an Italian sub, but in salad form. Maybe that’s why its star-studded admirers have included everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Kim Kardashian.

The dish’s bright Mediterranean flavors lend themselves well to creative riffs, and people are taking that base and running with it. Some common additions, like artichoke hearts, bell peppers or hard boiled eggs, play within that existing flavor profile. But there’s also room to shake things up, particularly with the dressing. Consider blending in an unexpected, umami-packed ingredient like soy sauce or roasted garlic for added depth and originality.

2

Green Goddess: Go Herb or Go Home

Like the Caesar, green goddess dressing is so singular in its flavor that it has spawned many salads of the same name, which lean into green ingredients, such as Granny Smiths, avocados, cucumbers and edamame.

With its bright, verdant color from loads of fresh herbs plus an unctuous texture to boot, green goddess dressing can spur a salad fit for social media stardom. Notes of lemon, chives and pepper bring a sharpness that plays well against all sorts of ingredients, like crisp cucumber, sweet cherry tomatoes and luscious avocado. Plus, the creamy mayonnaise base is thick enough to hold together every delicious addition post chopping.

Creators on TikTok are playing on the name of the dressing, building their salads entirely from green ingredients like Brussels sprouts, Granny Smith apples, pistachios and even jalapeños. But these salads needn’t be constrained by color. Quick-service chain Blaze Pizza recently jumped on the trend, introducing a vibrant Green Goddess Chopped Salad, with fresh romaine, tomatoes, mushrooms, red onion, black olives, mozzarella and oregano. It’s tossed in the company’s own green goddess dressing, which can also be ordered as a side cup for herbaceous pizza dunking.

3

Crispy Rice Salad: Snap, Crackle and Pop

Sugar & Spice’s deconstructed Vegan Kow Yum salad is not only visually striking but also interactive, inviting guests to toss the various components in a dark herb vinaigrette for a combination of crunchy textures and bright flavors.

More so than other types of dishes, salads allow components to maintain their individual characteristics, particularly texture. And while many vegetables and greens add crunch, few have pop, which is where crispy rice comes in. Roasted with flavorful oils and spices, crispy rice brings crunchy, salty, and sometimes spicy notes to any recipe. In Los Angeles, Night + Market serves larb, a traditional Thai minced meat salad, with pork, raw ginger, onion and cilantro, topped with crispy rice for added chew. Sugar & Spice in Cambridge, Mass., offers a plant-based, toss-your-own version of the larb salad in the Vegan Kow Yum, featuring purple rice, puffed rice, Thai herbs, fresh veggies, seasonal fruits, fried tofu and crispy toasted coconut, with a dark herb vinaigrette to drench each bite.

Meanwhile on social media, different variations of this crackling salad are racking up millions of views. Recipe developers are mix-matching different proteins and dressings to create unique flavor combinations that appeal to a wide range of palates. An East Asian-inspired version with salmon and creamy honey-ginger dressing has been bookmarked nearly 60,000 times on TikTok. Meanwhile, this chicken shawarma variation with a tahini-based dressing has been bookmarked 62,000 times. Some are even taking it a step further and getting creative with their “rice”—think chopped Caprese salad with crispy orzo.

4

Breakfast Salads: Just Add an Egg

Salads stretch into the earliest daypart through ingredient cues, like boiled eggs, as well as global staples, from a Turkish breakfast plate (with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and cheeses) to an everything bagel with lox.

Why should lunch and dinner have all the fun? On TikTok, people are going wild for #breakfastsalad and #saladforbreakfast, with videos clinching hundreds of thousands of views and likes. It’s clear that breakfast salads are having a moment, and they’re delicious enough to eat any time of day.

Many of the recipes start with protein-packed hard boiled eggs as a base. From there, the sky’s the limit. Take inspiration from the “YASSS Dude” on TikTok who builds a traditional Mediterranean breakfast by combining finely chopped fresh ingredients like tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and parsley, crumbling in feta and then then drenching the salad in a light, lemony vinaigrette. Or consider a take on a New York deli classic; one TikTok recipe for chopped cucumber salad incorporates all the flavors of a bagel with lox, including smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers. Since posting last August, it’s been bookmarked more than a half-million times.

5

The Chopped Salad Sandwich, Revisited

Given the requisite herbs and veggies, the bánh mì is a great starting place for global chopped sandwiches. KoKyu doubles down on the greens and chops them extra fine for a salad-like sando.

The chopped sandwich trend shows no sign of slowing down; if anything, viral salads are strengthening its appeal. To stay ahead of the curve, explore cuisines and flavor systems that aren’t as ubiquitous as say a classic Caesar or Cobb. Chop daikon, cucumber, carrots, jalapeño, fresh herbs and a protein together with a mayo-based dressing and serve it on an airy, crunchy baguette for a new take on bánh mì. In Durham, N.C., KoKyu does just that, upping the herbs and greens while finely chopping all ingredients for a salad-like consistency.

Alternatively, look to Latin America for a wide range of flavor profiles. Dice red onion, jalapeño and cilantro and combine with fava beans and puffed choclo (a corn variety from the Andes) before tossing in a queso fresco-lime dressing and serving in a split baguette for a handheld version of Peru’s soltero salad. Regardless of the salad build, it’s crucial the ingredients be diced extra finely to yield a consistency closer to a tuna salad than a tossed salad. Dressing then serves as the binding agent to keep it all together. Then, the only limit is the strength of the bread—and the chef’s imagination.