Recipes That Have Gone Viral

Updated April 01, 2020

Some recipes just hit the right note and make the Internet go crazy. What makes a recipe go viral? Surprisingly, it's not crazy rainbow-colored treats or semi-homemade hacks. For EatingWell fans, vegetables are the shining star and we couldn't be more proud. Take a look at our most popular healthy recipes you need to try.

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Avocado Pesto

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Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe. Toss it with pasta, spread it on baguette slices to make bruschetta, or use it for a healthy mayo substitute on your sandwich.

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Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

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In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.

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Pineapple & Avocado Salad

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This refreshing, simple Cuban salad recipe captures the flavors of the tropics. Serve alongside spiced chicken or pork, with rice and beans.

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Composed Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe. Serve at a potluck or for a beautiful salad at brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops or fish.

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Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

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Using the hasselback technique--cutting partially into a whole fruit or vegetable every 1/2 inch or so--gives you an easy way to sneak lots of flavor into this healthy zucchini recipe. To bake the zucchini instead of grilling, place in a foil-lined 8-inch-square baking pan and bake at 425°F until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

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In this low-carb spaghetti squash lasagna recipe, garlicky broccolini, spaghetti squash and cheese are combined for a healthy take on a favorite casserole. This bakes right in the squash shells for a fun presentation. Serve with a big Caesar salad and some warm and crusty whole-grain bread.

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Sweet Potato Carbonara with Spinach & Mushrooms

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Loaded with veggies, this spiralized sweet potato vegetable noodles recipe--our healthy take on a traditional carbonara recipe--achieves superfood status with the addition of spinach and mushrooms. Look for large, straight sweet potatoes to make the longest veggie noodles.

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Shrimp Ceviche

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Traditional ceviche recipes consists of raw seafood tossed with an acidic marinade (think: citrus juice or vinegar) that “cooks” the fish. In this shrimp ceviche recipe, we cook the shrimp before marinating it in lemon, lime and orange juices, plus chiles for some heat. This recipe originally appeared on Emeril Green (Emeril Lagasse's cooking show on Planet Green). Lagasse has his own brand of frozen wild American shrimp, which meet strict U.S. environmental standards. Serve this ceviche with tostones (fried plantain chips) or tortilla chips. Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

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Veggistrone

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This vegetable-packed minestrone soup recipe is inspired by a popular Weight Watchers vegetable soup recipe. It makes a big pot of soup, so keep some in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze the rest in single-serve portions. That way you always have an easy, delicious vegetable soup to start your meal or to eat for lunch. Think of this vegetable minestrone recipe as a starting point for other healthy soup variations, too: toss in leftover chopped cooked chicken or whole-wheat pasta or brown rice to make it more satisfying.

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Persian Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Preserved Lemon

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In this cucumber and tomato salad recipe, preserved lemon adds a tangy, salty bite. Serve this healthy salad as an accompaniment to dishes like grilled lamb or chicken or as a side on a bed of finely julienned purple kale, lightly dressed with more olive oil and lemon juice. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods stores. Or, to make your own, see our Preserved Lemons recipe on eatingwell.com.

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Fried Apple Pie Rolls

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In this healthy take on apple pie, wonton wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.

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Japanese Cucumber Salad

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This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.

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Summer Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad

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Fresh wedges of tomato, thinly sliced onion and sliced cucumber dressed simply with vinegar and oil makes the most simple salad possible--think of it as the Southern counterpart to the classic Italian tomato-and-mozzarella salad. It is best enjoyed at the height of summer, when tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden.

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Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

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Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.

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Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

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Roasting isn't usually the first cooking method you think of for cauliflower but the results are quite delicious. The florets are cut into thick slices and tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and herbs. Wherever the flat surfaces come into contact with the hot roasting pan, a deep browning occurs that results in a sweet, nutty flavor.

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Zu-Canoes

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Zucchini stuffed with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil make a fresh summer side dish. For the nicest presentation, use long, relatively skinny zucchini.

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Skinny Pineapple Margaritas

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Pineapple juice adds plenty of sweetness to this no-sugar-added margarita recipe.

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Berry Chantilly Cake

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In this beautiful and simple Chantilly cake recipe, fresh berries are layered with whipped cream and delicate sponge cake for a special sweet that's as well suited for a bridal shower as it is for a birthday or graduation party or other special occasion. Fill and top with any combination of fresh berries.

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Watermelon Fruit Pizza

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This refreshing fruit dessert pizza recipe swaps classic cookie crust with a healthier watermelon "crust." Topped with yogurt sauce, your favorite berries and mint, this fresh dessert can easily be doubled for a party or halved for every day.

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Cheese-&-Spinach-Stuffed Portobellos

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Here we take the elements of a vegetarian lasagna filling--ricotta, spinach and Parmesan cheese--and nestle them into roasted portobello mushroom caps. The recipe works best with very large portobello caps; if you can only find smaller ones, buy one or two extra and divide the filling among all the caps. Serve with a tossed salad and a whole-wheat dinner roll or spaghetti tossed with marinara sauce.

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Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad

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The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing.

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Mexican Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

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Everyone will love this Mexican-inspired pasta salad recipe. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

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Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

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Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the ground chipotle, but omit it if you prefer a mild chili. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and coleslaw.

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Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

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This healthy pound cake recipe isn't just delicious--it also only requires one bowl to make. For the best cake texture, be sure to beat the sugar and butter together long enough in Step 2 to look creamy--the time it takes to get there varies according to the type of electric mixer you have. Serve with brunch or alongside a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

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Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes

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In this healthy take on twice-baked potatoes, spinach, feta, garlic and oregano are stuffed into the potato shells along with the mashed potatoes. Serve with steak or chicken sprinkled with oregano or marjoram.

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Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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This healthy 5-ingredient spaghetti squash recipe is a satisfying low-carb alternative to taco night. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 2 and stir 2 1/2 cups into the filling. Look for an enchilada sauce with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving, such as Hatch brand.

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Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

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Fresh herbs, onion and bacon sauté alongside Brussels sprouts in this easy vegetable side dish recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated--buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

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Peanut-Chicken Cabbage Wraps

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Cabbage is a tasty low-calorie stand-in for buns or bread in this healthy chicken lettuce wrap recipe. Don't limit yourself to cabbage for this Thai-inspired recipe--any fresh green that's sturdy enough to wrap around 1/2 cup of filling works.

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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

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This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.

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Roasted Pears with Brie & Pistachios

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Roasted pears with Brie and pistachios is delicious as a first course or a side with roast pork or lamb. Leave the stems on for the prettiest presentation.

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Summer Squash Pad Thai

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In this “spiralized” vegetable noodle recipe inspired by pad thai, zucchini and summer squash replace the rice noodles, pumping up the vegetables while reducing calories. Top with stir-fried chicken, shrimp or tofu for added protein if desired.

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Coriander-&-Lemon-Crusted Salmon with Asparagus Salad & Poached Egg

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Crushed coriander seeds and lemon zest give this quick salmon recipe praiseworthy flavor that pairs beautifully with a shaved asparagus and poached egg salad. Served with a glass of white wine, this healthy recipe makes the ultimate lunch or light dinner.

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Tropical Cucumber Salad

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Combine cucumber, avocado and mango with a salty-sweet dressing for a taste of the tropics.

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Slow-Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup

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Like most soups, this Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the complex seasonings have time to develop. Make it a day ahead if you can--this easy slow cooker/crock pot recipe variation makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.

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