The Easy Meal That’s Even Better Than Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. It is one of my favorite meals to prep in advance and enjoy all week. Especially in the summertime, there is nothing more refreshing than a good pesto or tricolor pasta salad. But by the time August rolls around, I get a little sick of them. Despite this, I’m still not quite ready for a big bowl of warm, comforting noodles, either. This means I need the right middle ground to get me through the end of summer. 

In this viral recipe, I’m pretty sure I found it. While I was skeptical of this mix of flavors and textures, it ended up being a winner. Step aside, pasta salad. There is a new easy meal recipe in town.

The Viral Dumpling Tomato Salad

This dumpling salad recipe is essentially a simple pasta salad that’s made with dumplings instead of noodles. It may just be because I reached my pasta salad limit, but this idea sounded pretty genius to me. The ingredient list is straightforward: a base of tomato salad that’s topped with potstickers and a chili vinaigrette.

While it might seem like an intimidating recipe, it only takes three main steps. The main “salad” part is a simple tomato salad like this one. Mixed in with the tomato salad are store-bought potstickers or dumplings that are cooked from frozen. The salad is then tossed in a chili vinaigrette. The potstickers could be made homemade if that is your style, but the beauty of this recipe is that it turns store-bought dumplings into a full meal.

The recipe can be made either with dumplings or potstickers but is most commonly referred to as dumpling salad online. The difference between the two is that typically potstickers are dumplings that have been pan-fried and then steamed, while dumplings are most commonly steamed or boiled. I tried this recipe with potstickers, but dumplings would work, too. 

A variety of creators have tried the recipe, posting it to social media and sharing their rave reviews. On a TikTok post of a creator making the recipe, one user described it as an “instant hit” while another said this dish is a “new staple” for them. 

From the comments, it seems that those who make this dish either feel like it is their new “weirdly delicious” go-to comfort meal, or they aren’t so sure about it. So, of course, I had to put this recipe trend to the test to see if it was worth the hype.

I Tried Dumpling Salad—Here’s How To Make It

I was excited to try this recipe, albeit a little hesitant to put hot potstickers on cold veggies. While potstickers and tomato salads are great separately, I wasn’t sure how well they would go together.

I made a single serving of this meal with one tomato and a few potstickers. It was a no-brainer which dumplings I would grab: the Thai vegetable gyoza from Trader Joe’s. While I admire anyone who takes the time to make dumplings from scratch, that was not what I was up for, especially when I knew I had a delicious option waiting for me at TJ’s.

The hardest part of making this dish is frying and then steaming the potstickers. I did this by using a pan to get a crispy bottom on my potsticker and then pouring some water into the pan before covering it to give them a quick steam. I’d love to say that this step is skippable, and you can microwave them instead, but showing your potstickers some love before you add them to the salad will pay off. 

Next, I mixed the potstickers with the tomato salad and topped the combination with a chili vinaigrette. While chili vinaigrette might sound intimidating, it really is just soy sauce and chili crisp. I have already shared my love for chili crisp, so it is no shock that this was a win for me. 

With these steps, I had a simple, filling lunch ready to go. While it is no 2-ingredient dinner, this dish does deserve points for ease of preparation. What is more important than the simple process, though, is how it stacked up in terms of taste.

My Review of the Viral Dumpling Tomato Salad

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this recipe. I understand when people say they find this recipe a little strange. But what initially drew me to it was a need to mix things up in the kitchen. As a college student, I cook simple meals in my dorm room or apartment, and I often find that I repeat the same variations of the same dishes over and over again. The unique vibe of this dish is what made it stand out.

There is a high chance I will be making this recipe again. However, I have some ideas for how to switch it up. Instead of a tomato salad base, a cucumber salad would be a great alternative. I have seen some other TikTok users follow this strategy, and there is no denying that cucumber salads are having their moment right now.  I’ve also seen users make this salad with store-bought coleslaw as a shortcut.

If one thing was missing from this salad, it was crunch. So a tomato-cucumber salad mix could be the way to go. I sliced a large tomato as my salad base, but cherry tomatoes would be a great alternative, allowing more potsticker bites to be paired with tomato. Regardless, this recipe is a great way to use leftover tomatoes from our garden. 

Who knows? Maybe one day we will have as many variations of this salad as we do traditional pasta salad. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to brainstorm some ideas for good variations while I make this recipe on repeat.