Let’s be honest, who hasn’t fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole, suddenly emerging an hour later with a growling stomach and a list of recipes to try? Remember the viral cucumber salad that was everywhere this summer? Yeah, I made it three times in one week. No regrets. But now that the leaves are changing, so are our cravings. Entering the chat now: the dense bean salad currently all over everyone’s FYPs.

The fiber, protein, and veggie-packed salad, referred to as #DBS or #densebeansalad on TikTok, has taken over feeds thanks to its creator Violet Witchel (@violet.cooks). Witchel, now known as “Dense Bean Salad Girl,” is most recognized for her healthy dense bean salads. She claims that her change in diet has improved both her physical and mental health.

@violet.cooks

Sundried tomato DBS! #dbs #beans #densebeansalad #mealprep

♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda

The Hype Behind The Dense Bean Salad

While Witchel makes dense bean salads weekly, the one that shot to fame is the sun-dried tomato recipe everyone’s been raving about. Picture this: you’ve got some bell peppers chilling in your fridge, a lonely shallot rolling around, and those cherry tomatoes you bought on impulse. Throw in some pepperoni and deli chicken (because who doesn’t have those lurking in the back of the fridge?), add sun-dried tomatoes for that fancy touch, and toss in some artichokes, chickpeas, and cannellini beans. Voila! You’ve got a divine salad that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when, really, you just threw together whatever you had on hand. Most importantly, Witchel notes that she makes enough to last the entire week. An excellent tip for those who meal prep.

@laylalinguine

if a recipe could be made in an anti- nara smith way this would be it. very delicous though! shout out to @Violet Witchel

♬ original sound – Layla Lasagna

Black and Brown content creators have also taken to the app, making their different versions of the dense bean salad, truly showing off how inclusive and versatile the recipe is. Maybe one thing that will unite us after all is our love for food.

The dense bean salad is the perfect recipe for those nights when you want to feel like a culinary genius without actually putting in the effort. Plus, it’s so adaptable that you can tweak it based on whatever odds and ends you’ve got lying around. Who knew cleaning out your pantry could taste this good?