The TikTok Trend That's Changing How People Eat Soup Dumplings
TikTok is the birthplace of all sorts of food trends, and this creative take on soup dumplings is currently gaining traction on the social media platform. Like the Dubai Chocolate trend in 2024 and Cloud Bread in 2025, soup dumplings are going viral online thanks to TikToker Courtney Cook Bales (@courtneylcook). Already known as the woman who introduced the world to cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes, Bales has thrown another revolutionary twist in home cooking with a TikTok post featuring a soup dumpling nestled in a raw onion cup.
@courtneylcook These were extra fabulous today #onioncups #soupdumplings #chilicrunch #foodtok #snacktime
Bales has posted more than one TikTok featuring the recipe for these no-bake, savory bites (though each one is made more from the heart than a recipe book). The bites feature just a few simple ingredients: a Vidalia onion sliced and flaked into layers that serve as cups, store-bought soup dumplings (if you're unsure which ones to buy try Bibigo Steamed Soup Dumplings — they're a Costco item with a cult-following), Japanese barbecue sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, chili crunch, mayo, and a garnish of crunchy shoestring onions.
Raw onion cup dumplings are as easy to make as they are delicious (and require zero oven time). To make the cups, slice your onion in half and then peel away each layer to form its own cup. Put one microwavable soup dumpling into each one, saturate them with sauces and toppings, and dig in.
Onion cups can be the foundation for all kinds of finger foods and appetizers
TikToker Courtney Cook Bales may have gone viral with her onion cup soup dumplings, but that's just the beginning of how raw onion cups can transform a familiar food into a whole new dish. Bales has shared a variety of onion cup recipes on the platform, including a stunning onion cup flight (which seems arguably just as tasty as this deviled egg flight) with six different flavor combinations.
In Bales' video, six raw, curved onion slices are laid out, each filled with a unique combination of ingredients. The cups are filled with deviled eggs with creamy salad dressing, spicy chili and cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese, cheese fries and jalapeño, cauliflower cheese, and kimchi ramen with a soft-boiled egg and furikake. Technically, you could put anything in these handy little veggie boats — like macaroni and cheese. Make them even more unique and captivating by filling the onion cups with date night mac and cheese (just toss some breath mints on the side for good measure).