Viral Tik-Tok Carrot Ribbon Salad

I flew into New York on a Wednesday. The sky was cloudy when I landed, and by the time I reached Ava’s apartment in Brooklyn, the clouds had peeled back to that crisp, early summer light. She hugged me at the door with one arm while the other held her phone, mid-TikTok scroll.

“We’re making this,” she said before I even dropped my bag. “You’re gonna love it.”

Carrot Ribbon Salad recipe

It was a video of a girl slicing carrots into ribbons like she was making orange confetti. She tossed them with soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, and lime, then topped the whole thing with sesame seeds. “Glow salad,” the caption said. Ava turned her phone around. “It’s all over TikTok. Apparently makes your skin amazing.”

The Carrot Salad That Took Over My Weekend

I wasn’t planning on cooking that day. But Ava was already pulling carrots from the fridge. I peeled the first one while she queued up another video — this time by Cassie Yeung, who was apparently the new queen of crunchy veggies. “Carrot ribbon salad a day keeps the dull skin away,” she said, shaking the bowl like a tambourine.

We peeled five big carrots, dropped the ribbons in a bowl of ice water to make them curl, and laughed about how we were now part of the internet’s weirdest beauty ritual. Ava made the dressing, eyeballing the soy sauce and vinegar. I minced garlic so finely I could smell it on my fingertips for hours.

Origins of the Viral Carrot Ribbon Salad

Later that night, I did some reading. Turns out, ribboned carrot salads aren’t new. You’ll find them in Middle Eastern mezze spreads, French bistros, and Central Asian dinners. People have been slicing carrots this way for decades. But the version Ava found — the one with soy sauce, sesame oil, lime, and garlic — first went viral in late 2023, when a blogger named Wellness by Kay posted her take inspired by the nutrition theories of Dr. Ray Peat.

Carrot Ribbon Salad

It simmered in the wellness blog world for a bit, then exploded this May when Cassie Yeung turned it into a TikTok beauty tip. Since then, everyone’s been making it. Influencers. Foodies. My cousin Ellie in Iowa. It’s crunchy, spicy, salty, sweet — and ready in ten minutes. No wonder it’s everywhere.

What We Used That Day

  • 5 large carrots, peeled into ribbons
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp chili crisp
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Small handful of chopped cilantro to finish

We tossed the chilled carrot ribbons with the dressing and let it sit for ten minutes while we cleaned up. The carrots softened just a little and soaked in all that garlicky, gingery dressing. When we finally ate it — cold, bright, full of umami — we both looked at each other and said, “This is actually really good.”

Eating It on the Roof in Brooklyn

Later that weekend, we brought a batch up to Ava’s rooftop. We sat on fold-out chairs next to someone’s sad tomato plant and passed the salad back and forth with two forks and no plates. The sun was starting to set over the skyline, and the carrots were still crisp and cold from the fridge. It tasted like something clean. Something right.

easy Carrot Ribbon Salad recipe

We joked that our skin was already glowing. But the truth is, we both felt lighter after eating it. Maybe it was the crunch. Maybe it was the lime. Maybe it was the way we made it together, without fuss or measuring spoons or anything fancy. Just two friends in a tiny kitchen, chasing the internet’s next obsession and finding something better than expected.

Variations I’ve Tried Since Coming Home

Back in Los Angeles, I’ve made it a bunch of different ways. Here’s what I’ve played with:

  • Added cucumber ribbons for extra crunch
  • Used maple syrup instead of honey
  • Swapped the lime juice for lemon once — still worked
  • Added chopped spinach and thin red cabbage to make it a full salad
  • Tried it with almond butter and a splash of soy to make a richer dressing — weird but good

My favorite version is still the classic one, though. Carrots. Soy. Vinegar. Lime. Garlic. Sesame oil. It’s punchy and fresh and tastes like it’s doing something good for you, even if it’s just making you pause long enough to enjoy your lunch.

viral tiktok Carrot Ribbon Salad

Thinking About That Kitchen

I keep thinking about that afternoon with Ava. About the peeling and the garlic and the sun warming the kitchen tiles. I think about how this silly little salad became part of our weekend. How something that started as a trend ended up feeling like a memory I didn’t know I needed.

That’s what I love about recipes like this. They sneak up on you. They don’t take much. Just a few bright things in a bowl. But they leave you with more than just a full stomach. They leave you with a mood. A moment. A new way to look at carrots.

Carrot Ribbon Salad recipe

Carrot Ribbon Salad

A crunchy, vibrant salad of carrot ribbons tossed in a zesty, garlicky, umami-rich dressing. Inspired by a TikTok trend and rooted in generations of carrot salads, this version is fast, fresh, and unexpectedly comforting. Perfect for warm days, glowing skin, or rooftop dinners with friends.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120

Ingredients
  

  • 5 large carrots peeled into ribbons
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tbsp  soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 Juice of lime
  • 1/2 tsp chili crisp or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 Vegetable peeler or mandoline
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Small whisk or spoon
  • 1 Salad tongs

Method
 

Prep the carrots
  1. Peel the carrots into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Place them in a bowl of ice water for 5–10 minutes to help them curl and stay crisp.
Make the dressing
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, lime juice, garlic, chili crisp, and grated ginger until combined.
Assemble the salad
  1. Drain and pat dry the carrot ribbons. Add them to a large bowl with the sliced scallions. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.
Rest and garnish
  1. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to absorb. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro before serving.

Notes

  • Chill the carrots: Soaking the ribbons in ice water helps them curl and stay crisp, don’t skip it if you want texture.
  • Adjust to taste: Feel free to tweak the lime, garlic, or honey depending on your flavor preference.
  • Make it a meal: Add rice noodles, grilled tofu, or shredded chicken for a more filling version.
  • Storage tip: Best eaten the day it’s made, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
  • Spice level: Increase or omit chili crisp depending on how much heat you want.
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