The Bella Hadid Salad (Viral Recipe from TikTok)

Name: The Bella Hadid Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 (5 oz) box of baby arugula (about 5 cups); 2 mini cucumbers (or 1 medium cucumber, sliced); 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 1 avocado, sliced; ½ cup crumbled parmesan cheese (use a block of parmigiano reggiano, if available); Juice of ½ lemon; Salt and pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons olive oil; Balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Jump to Recipe

The Bella Hadid Salad went viral on TikTok with Bella sharing the recipe and the caption that this is her "#1 salad to make." And it's easy to see why this is her favorite salad — it's ridiculously tasty and so simple!

About This Recipe

This recipe for the Bella Hadid salad follows her video as exactly as I can match it! Her video shows what ingredients she uses but doesn't include quantities for everything (although it's pretty easy to guess).

Here's the original video in case you want to check it out:

@babybella777 My #1 ♬ Melody (1983 Club Vinyl Mix) - Plustwo

Bella's salad is made with a base of arugula topped with cucumber, bell pepper, avocado and parmesan cheese. The best part (she says not to skip it!) is the balsamic glaze on top.

The recipe doesn't include a specific salad dressing — instead, the salad is topped and then tossed in a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic glaze, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

What makes this salad SO ridiculously good are the fresh flavors. The tanginess of the arugula paired with the bright lemon juice + sweet balsamic glaze is an amazing combination.

Personally I am not a huge fan of arugula but I LOVE it in this recipe 🙂

This recipe is also super easy... It's impossible to mess it up and you can toss it together in 10 minutes or less! It looks impressive enough to serve at a party but is also quick enough to make as a last-minute lunch or dinner. It makes 5-6 servings as a side salad or about 3 large bowls of salad as a main dish.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

Arugula
Cucumber
Bell pepper
Avocado
Parmesan
Lemon
Olive oil
Balsamic glaze

See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: add the arugula to a large bowl and top it with the cucumbers, bell pepper, avocado and parmesan.

Step 2: squeeze the juice of ½ of a lemon over the salad and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Step 3: drizzle generously with balsamic glaze. In her video, Bella adds this in a criss cross pattern, drizzling it over the salad in one direction and then again in the other direction.

Step 4: Toss and enjoy! Season with additional lemon, salt or pepper as desired.

Ingredient Notes

Arugula:

If you want to try a different lettuce, this salad would also be tasty with spinach or a baby spring mix. You could also try using half arugula and half spring mix to keep it closer to the original recipe.

Personally, arugula isn't my favorite lettuce but I loved it in this recipe!

Cucumbers:

Bella uses 2 mini cucumbers (aka Persian cucumbers) in her recipe, but you could also use 1 medium cucumber.

Parmesan:

For this recipe you'll want a small block of parmesan cheese that you can break into crumbles with your fingers (about ½ cup).

Any type of parmesan cheese will work, but parmigiano reggiano is especially tasty... and it looks like what Bella uses in her video (I spy part of the name on her block of cheese)!

Balsamic glaze:

This is a key ingredient to the recipe! Bella calls it a 'non-negotiable' in the caption of her post 🙂

If you've never had it before, balsamic glaze can usually be found in the vinegar section or near the salad dressings at the store. It's thick and has a sweet balsamic flavor.

And if you can't find it, you could use balsamic vinegar in a pinch. But if you do this I would also add a drizzle of honey to your salad since balsamic vinegar doesn't have the sweetness or thickness of a balsamic glaze.

About The Dressing

This recipe doesn't have a specific dressing — instead, it's topped with olive oil, balsamic glaze, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The combination tastes classic, flavorful, and a little sweet. It's an amazing pairing for the ingredients of the salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this salad need to be eaten right away?

For the best texture and freshness, I would recommend eating this salad right away or very soon after you make it.

Can this salad be made ahead of time?

This salad can be prepped ahead of time; but you'll want to wait to toss it until just before eating it.

To make this salad ahead of time, assemble your salad with arugula, bell pepper, cucumber and parmesan cheese. Store this in an airtight container in the fridge. Then when you're ready to serve the salad, add the avocado (otherwise it will brown), olive oil, balsamic glaze, lemon juice, salt and pepper on top.

How many servings is this salad?

As a side salad, this makes about 5 - 6 servings. As a main dish, it makes about 3 large bowls of salad.

The bella hadid salad with balsamic glaze.

Similar Salad Recipes

This recipe is one of several salads that have gone viral on TikTok! Here are the others that we have recipes for:

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!