How to Dice Vegetables

By eHow Food & Drink Editor

Dice Vegetables Dice Vegetables

Rate: (8 Ratings)

A diced vegetable is cut into small cubes. It's easy to dice quickly and evenly once you have the knack. Just think "slices, sticks, and cubes."

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Vegetables
  • Cutting Boards
  • Sharp Chef's Knives

Step1
Clean your cutting board and knife.
Step2
Peel the skin from the vegetable, if necessary, and discard it.
Step3
For round vegetables like carrots and potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and lay cut-side down on the cutting board. This will keep the vegetable from rolling.
Step4
Cut the vegetable lengthwise into even slices, then stack the slices and cut them into long sticks. (Long vegetables like celery and leeks need only be sliced into sticks.)
Step5
Gather the sticks and cut them crosswise into cubes. Make sure to get the cubes as even as you can.
Step6
To dice a tomato, cut it in quarters vertically, through the stem. It is not necessary to cut the stem out just yet.
Step7
Cut away the inner pulpy part of each tomato quarter, cutting away the stem with it. Discard it or save for another use.
Step8
Slice the remaining outer flesh into thin strips, then cut the strips crosswise into a dice.
Step9
To dice cucumber, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and slice the cucumber in half lengthwise.
Step10
Using a teaspoon, scrape the seeds and pulpy interior from each half.
Step11
Slice into thin strips and then cut crosswise to dice.

Tips & Warnings

  • This technique will vary for specific vegetables, but you will almost always be aiming to get the vegetable into strips, which you can then easily cut into cubes.
  • Vegetables made up of flowers, such as broccoli and cauliflower, are not typically diced, but broken into "flowerets." (See the related eHow "How to Chop Broccoli.")
  • A "small dice" is generally considered to be a ¼-inch cube, a "medium dice" is about ½-inch, and a large dice is between ¾ and 1 inch.
  • Save any scraps from cutting for vegetable stock or use in other recipes.
  • The best, cleanest dice is made with a sharp knife. The sharper the better.

Comments

| View All Comments

13411 said

Flag This Comment

on 12/13/2006 This the best instruction on cutting vegetables in cubes. I have searched every where on how to cut a potato in cubes. Thank you.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Dice Vegetables

eHow Food & Drink Editor

eHow Food & Drink Editor

Category: Food & Drink

Articles: See my other articles

Related Ads

Food & Drink

Bethenny
Meet Bethenny Frankel eHow’s Food & Drink Expert.