The Internet Can’t Stop Watching TikTokers Eat Soup Dumplings in Onion Cups
A quirky new food trend is taking over TikTok, and it involves soup dumplings served inside raw onion “cups.” The idea comes from popular creator Courtney Cook Bales, whose unconventional meals have once again captured the internet’s attention.
Meet the Creator Behind the Trend
Courtney Cook Bales is a Georgia-based English teacher and mom of four who has built a loyal following of around 2.7 million people on TikTok. She first went viral for sharing comforting, creative meals like cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes, and her audience has stuck around for her easy, inventive food ideas ever since.
Now, Bales has introduced something entirely different, raw onion cups.
What Are Onion Cups?
The concept is simple but unexpected. Bales cuts a raw onion in half and peels away the layers, using them as small edible bowls. These onion layers then become the base for a variety of toppings and meals.
In her videos, she fills the onion cups with foods like fried catfish, ramen noodles, chili, French fries, smoked salmon, and more. She’s even shared an “onion cup flight,” inspired by the egg flight trend from 2024, featuring multiple onion cups with different toppings side by side.
Soup Dumplings Take Center Stage
Most often, Bales pairs her onion cups with microwavable soup dumplings. She tops them generously with condiments such as mayonnaise, soy sauce, Japanese barbecue sauce, crispy onions, and chili crisp. The combination of soft dumplings, rich sauces, and crunchy raw onion has intrigued, and sometimes shocked, viewers.
Over the past few months, thousands of TikTok users have jumped on the trend, posting their own versions of onion cups and experimenting with creative fillings inspired by Bales’ videos.
Taking the Trend to Daytime TV
The trend reached a new level on Monday, Jan. 19, when Bales appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show. She brought along her cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes and soup dumplings, presenting Hudson with steamed dumplings topped with melted Muenster cheese.
Bales encouraged Hudson to finish the dish with chili crisp, soy sauce, and mayonnaise, which earned some audible reactions from the audience. While the onion cup itself didn’t make an appearance on the show, Hudson was pleasantly surprised by the flavors, declaring the dish “so good.”
Why the Internet Can’t Look Away
The onion cup trend blends simplicity, creativity, and just enough shock value to thrive on social media. Whether viewers are recreating the meals or watching out of pure curiosity, Courtney Cook Bales has once again proven that unconventional food ideas can spark massive online conversations.
