Why TikTokers Are Eating Soup Dumplings in Raw Onion Cups

Courtney Cook Bales has introduced the internet to a new quirky meal.

The Georgia-based English teacher taught her now-2.7 million TikTok followers (and the rest of the app) about cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes. Now, raw onion cups are her latest influence. 

The 36-year-old has shared clips of herself cutting an onion in half and using layers of onion as a vessel for other foods. The toppings range from fried catfish to ramen and the mom of four has even shared an onion cup flight—in the same vein as the 2024 trend of egg flights—showcasing toppings like chili, French fries or smoked salmon.

Most of the time, she eats her onion cups with microwavable soup dumplings and an array of condiments like mayonnaise, Japanese barbecue sauce, soy sauce, crispy onions and more. 

TikTokers have been influenced by Bales’ inventive meal over the last several months, with thousands of users sharing their videos recreating her recipes or taping their own onion cup concoctions.

On Monday, Jan. 19, the influencer took her cheese-stuffed sweet potato and cheesy soup dumplings with onion cups to The Jennifer Hudson Show.

On the talk show, Bales presented Jennifer Hudson with steamed soup dumplings topped with melted Muenster cheese. She advised the singer to top the dumplings with chili crisp, soy sauce and mayonnaise (much to the dismay of the audience). Hudson did not use the pivotal onion cup but claimed “This is so good!” about the loaded soup dumplings. 

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Bales spontaneously shared her first lunch video back in May 2025 (which she saw as a “genuine way to connect” with others, she told PEOPLE) and has shared her playful spins on British food daily ever since. Ploughman’s lunches and chocolate-covered Weetabix are frequent choices for Bales.