Spilling the Beans: Why Violet Witchel’s Meal Prep Secret is Taking Over the Internet

Her twelve-video “Dense Bean Salad” playlist has racked up more than 70 million views since she posted the first video in December 2023. That video sits at 14 million watches alone, which helped propel dense bean salad to the number 5 most searched for recipe in Google search trends for 2024. Violet Witchel, now known as the “Dense Bean Salad Girl,” changes the way people meal prep and pack lunches with her popular protein and veggie-packed creations.

The midday lunch hour often presents a frustrating choice between lackluster takeout that costs $15 or a soggy meal-prepped salad. But the millions who watch Witchel’s “dense bean salad” recipes are looking to change that. Her viral videos even inspire younger generations to plan meals ahead by showing easy ways to create salads that pack a delicious and nutritious punch, rescuing boring workweek menus.

How It All Started

Growing up eating gluten-free as a result of Celiac Disease, Witchel learned the kitchen skills as a young person that would serve her later.

“I was cooking most of my meals from a really young age, which definitely shaped what I do now. Everything I post is gluten-free because of that,” she shares.

As a swimmer in college, Witchel had to rely on food prep even more. She found it challenging to make sure she had access to enough food, especially being on a meal plan with limited gluten-free options. She counted a lot on smoothies and big, meal-prepped salads to get her through.

It was at that point that she started posting on TikTok while cooking in her dorm room. People engaged with her recipes in growing numbers.

Witchel was surprised by the popularity, but she believes people connect with her content because the salads are simple and they can see themselves making them in their own kitchens.

“The dense bean salad was just something I made for myself because it was easy, filling and worked well for my diet. They ensure I get enough protein and veggies throughout the week,” she says.

The Making of a Dense Bean Salad

Her salads start with a base of beans like garbanzo and cannellini, a variety of veggies, some chicken or other animal proteins, cheese and dressing. After chopping the veggies and proteins, rinsing the beans and dressing the salad, all that’s left is to give the ingredients a good mix and store them in the fridge.

The salads are perfect for meal-prepping in large batches to be eaten throughout the week. And the popularity has pushed her TikTok account to almost three million followers.

“They’re packed with protein, lots of veggies and topped with a vinegar-based dressing that marinates the ingredients and gets better throughout the week,” Witchel shares.

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After creating pounds of these salads over the years, she has some time-worn advice: “Keep it simple and think about balance. I always try to include different textures like something crunchy, something soft, and something bright. Once you have that, it becomes really forgiving and hard to mess up.”

While these salads are practically foolproof, she has one warning: “Don’t forget to rinse and thoroughly drain your beans well, otherwise it can make the salad wet and soggy!”

The Solution to the Lunch Dilemma

In a world where take-out, pre-packaged and food delivery is easier than ever, the popularity of her salads isn’t lost on Witchel. She believes people of all ages want food that fits into real life: easy to make, holds up well and doesn't require a lot of effort during the week.

“There’s also something really comforting about having meals ready to go that you actually want to eat. A lot of people also find that when they are eating in a way that supports underlying health issues, or just how they physically feel day to day, they stick with it and keep coming back to it.”

The star of her dense bean salads, the humble bean, is a rockstar ingredient that enjoys the spotlight as an economical and easy source of protein and fiber. In addition, beans are a staple ingredient in diets of those living in the Blue Zones of the world, where people live remarkably long lives, enjoy better health and have lower rates of Alzheimer's.

What’s Popping Up Next

Witchel now takes her dense bean salads to the streets of cities across the country with pop-ups.

Starting with her home city of San Francisco, she’s recently held pop-ups in Philadelphia and Miami. People can pre-order or walk up and choose from some of her most popular creations like Miso Edamame Dense Bean Salad, Steak Chimichurri Dense Bean Salad or Sundried Tomato Dense Bean Salad.

“It’s been exciting to see how people in different cities connect with the food. Meeting people in person has honestly become one of my favorite parts. I’ve also been doing influencer drop-offs in each city, which has been a fun, more personal way to connect,” Witchel says.

She sees even more growth to come. “I have more pop-up locations coming up, including New York, Charleston, and Chicago. I’m excited to keep growing that side and building more in-person experiences.”

If you’re ready to get all of Violet Witchel’s dense bean salad inspo, or try some of these salads for yourself from a pop-up, you can follow her on Instagram and TikTok. All of her recipes can also be found on her Substack, along with meal plans, shopping lists, and more.

Andrea Tucker is a health educator and founder of Baltimore Gluten Free and the award-winning podcast, The Gluten Free News. She's written and produced features on a variety of topics, including health and wellness, medical research, food and travel.