Rapid histological imaging of pathological tissues with sufficient diagnostic information has great potential to aid doctors in intraoperative decision making. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is an emerging label-free imaging modality capable of obtaining histological images of tissues without the need for time-consuming tissue processing, such as fixing, sectioning, and staining. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated SRS microscopy as a “virtual histology” tool for rapid diagnosis of various diseases. In this review, we focus on the basic principles and current developments of SRS microscopy as well as its applications for rapid tissue histology.