If you are at all familiar with the social media platform TikTok, you probably know it has become an unexpected destination for foodies over the past few years, where clips of recipes for dishes go viral and are recreated by countless users worldwide
Over the past two years, I have reported on numerous recipes born out of the TikTok community. Some are ordinary, others weird and some just leave me dumbstruck.
This week I was introduced to yet another recipe that has left me dumbstruck - lettuce chips.
@feelgoodfoodie I’ve never craved lettuce as much as I did after watching @Amal Awad make her lettuce chips! ☺️ 🥬 #lettucechips ♬ original sound - Feel Good Foodie
When I came across the name on social media, in my head I thought it was lettuce that had been baked or grilled and seasoned with all things delicious and flavourful - but I was wrong - it’s a salad!
These 'crisps' don't need to go in an air fryer or under the grill or anything, with fans simply munching on the leaves raw. Just like me, some crisp lovers felt things may have gone too far when it comes to “lettuce chips”.
It is simply a salad in disguise - despite how many people have been trying and seemingly loving the recipe in viral videos. The hashtag
#LettuceChips has achieved over 4 million views so far on the platform. The trend is believed to have originated from TikTok creator Amal Awad and the recipe was replicated this month by many other foodies, including user FeelGoodFoodie whose video has received over 200 000 likes and over 3 million views.
If you want a healthy alternative snack to potato chips, here are some of the veggie chips that you can make at home. You can cover them with dip, or ear on their own. They are basically as good as the real thing.
Kale
Kale can make for a killer oven-baked chip, turning crisp and lightly golden in the oven. You have the option of snacking on plain kale chips, but feel free to sprinkle on other toppings. Here is a recipe.
Sweet potato
Sweet and hearty with a beautiful bright orange colour, sweet potato chips are always a favourite in a store-bought bag of veggie chips. So, why not make a batch of your own, and without the deep fryer? Here is a recipe.