How to Dice Vegetables

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."

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Vegetables
• Cutting Boards
• Sharp Chef's Knives

1. 

   Clean your cutting board and knife.

2. Peel the skin from the vegetable, if necessary, and discard it.

3. 

   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.

4. 

   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.)

5. 

   Gather the sticks and cut them crosswise into cubes. Make sure to get the cubes as even as you can.

6. To dice a tomato, cut it in quarters vertically, through the stem. It is not necessary to cut the stem out just yet.

7. 

   Cut away the inner pulpy part of each tomato quarter, cutting away the stem with it. Discard it or save for another use.

8. 

   Slice the remaining outer flesh into thin strips, then cut the strips crosswise into a dice.

9. 

   To dice cucumber, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and slice the cucumber in half lengthwise.

10. 

    Using a teaspoon, scrape the seeds and pulpy interior from each half.

11. 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.