It all began when Darlene Schrijver was compiling her favorite salad recipes for her daughter who was off to college when a friend asked, “Why don’t you film the directions for making recipes instead and post them on TikTok? She’s always on there anyway.” Darlene started out making videos of classic and retro salads and thought it would be fun to measure the ingredients with test tubes and beakers since her daughter was a science major. She called her TikTok account The Salad Lab to encourage the spirit of experimentation. Soon, The Salad Lab’s following began to grow rapidly when Darlene would attempt to recreate a celebrity’s favorite salad or a recipe inspired by a dish from a restaurant.
From Bella Hadid to Kylie Jenner’s favorite salads to completely unique creations featured for the first time in The Salad Lab, Darlene’s careful instructions and smart salad-making tips are sure to inspire anyone to crave a healthy salad. All beautifully photographed, there are also drink serving recommendations for every dish, plus a section of staple recipes that can be turned to again and again for dressing and basics like Honey-Roasted Sliced Almonds, Cheesy Tortilla Croutons, Cilantro Lime Dressing, and her viral Green Goddess Dressing. Salads have never been more fun to make—or more delicious.