How to easily cut vegetables (thinly).

Cutting vegetables is sometimes quite a job. Some varieties are quite hard, such as pumpkins. Others are especially large and therefore difficult to slice thinly, such as cabbage. But there are tricks for thin slicing. We explain them.

Slice vegetables such as cucumber, onion, carrot, zucchini and cabbage thinly

Slicing vegetables especially thinly can sometimes be a challenge. Because you may not always cut well with a knife. That is why a peeler can be a solution. The name actually says it all. So it is not only useful for removing the peel of vegetables or fruit. For example, it is also useful if you want cucumber or zucchini thinly sliced.

Brassica and onion

But you can also thinly peel (large) types of cabbage such as red cabbage, pointed cabbage or Chinese cabbage. Or how about an onion? It’s a bit harder to hold, so pierce the onion with a fork and use the peeler to go back and forth. Turn the onion so that you can easily access all sides.

Carrot

And how about thin strings of carrot? That also works this way. Is the carrot a little smaller? Then also use a fork. Stick it in the top and hold it that way for stability. Or use a cheese slicer for this.

Carving a pumpkin

Some vegetables, such as pumpkin, have a hard skin. It is difficult to get through and then cut into thin pieces. The following trick works for both cutting and peeling the pumpkin: heat it in the microwave on full power for 1 to 2 minutes. This softens the peel and makes it easier to get through. Make sure you let the pumpkin cool down a bit first, otherwise you could burn yourself. Read more about this in our previous article.

Use tools to cut vegetables, such as a mandoline or block grater

Do you own a mandolin? Then that is also a handy tool to use. Most mandolins can be set to thickness, so you can choose how thick or thin you want the vegetables cut. Run the vegetables over the mandoline and you will get equal pieces.

Block grater

A block grater can also offer a solution. This has a kind of cheese slicer on one of the sides. You can also get equally thick pieces of vegetables with this. However, you cannot determine how thick the vegetable will be. The same applies to the cheese slicer, you can also use it to cut cucumber slices, for example.

Spiral cutter

Do you have a spiralizer? Then you can use it to cut (thin) strings of the vegetable. There are various types of this, with some you have to twist the vegetable through the spiral yourself. This can take some effort, in our experience.

(Source: BinnensteBuiten, archive, aid guide. Photo: Shutterstock)