Eating healthy should not be hard! With some quick and easy descriptions, we show you how to cut those intimidating veggies like artichoke and kale. We hope you’ll realize these veggies are much easier to prep than you might think. Before you get started, we recommend having at least one sharp knife in your arsenal. You’ll be a veggie pro before you know it!
Table of Contents
Onion
With the papery skin still on, slice off the tip and then slice the bulb in half from top to bottom. Peel off the papery skin from both sides. Place both sides of the onion face down and with your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice each half into three layers. Then cut down across the onion along the ribbing; do this for both halves. Then dice.
Artichoke
Chop off the top quarter of the artichoke. Use scissors to snip the dry tips off all of the leaves. Slice the artichoke in half and scoop out the fuzzy center with a spoon. Cook immediately or store in water with a squeeze of lemon to avoid browning.
Asparagus
Chop off the woody ends of the asparagus stalk (usually indicated by white or purple discoloration). Peel the bottom half of the stalk until it is uniformly tender. Depending on preparation preferences, leave them whole or cut diagonally into one-inch segments.
Leek
Chop off the dark green, leafy part. Chop the leek into fourths without slicing through the bottom so they’re all connected to the base. Then clean out the leek under water to remove any hiding dirt. Dry the leek. Then chop into quarter-inch pieces crosswise, or at desired size.
Bell Pepper
Chop off the top and bottom of the pepper. Through the big opening at the top, cut out the seeds. Then cut the bell pepper in half, then in quarters. Slice off the white membrane still attached to each quarter. Then cut each quarter into strips or once more crosswise into diced segments.
Brussels Sprouts
With a sharp knife, cut off the bottom, woody core. Remove any loose brown or yellow outer leaves. Then cut each Brussels sprout bulb into halves or quarters.
Broccoli
Cut off the head of the broccoli from the stalk. Separate the florets into even pieces with a knife or by pulling them apart with your hands. Shave the wood stalk until it’s tender and cut it into fourths and then crosswise into 1-inch segments. This will help you use the whole broccoli!
Cauliflower
Chop the cauliflower into fourths. Slice off the tough center from each quarter. Then break the florets apart and chop into even pieces. Alternatively, you can pop the broken florets into a food processor to transform them into ‘cauli-rice’.
Tomato
Using a sharp, serrated knife, place the tomato with the stem side facing up and slice the tomato crosswise. Separate slices into two halves, face them down, and cut each half lengthwise. Then cut each slice halve crosswise again for smaller cubes.
Kale
Cut out the ribbing (“the center stem”) of the kale. Stack the flat leaves together. Roll up the leaves and cut into ribbons, like how you’d chiffonade herbs. Then massage your dressing into the kale and let your salad sit in the fridge until desired tenderness.
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