How to Cut Vegetables Safely

Last Updated: March 13, 2023

Having basic knife skills is an essential part of cooking. This article is for anyone who wants to learn how to cut produce safely. Read on to help improve your cutting skills!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Bridge Method ^{[1]
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Research source}

1
Choose a vegetable that you would like to slice. For this method, vegetables that you would like to cut into long/thin slices would be best (such as carrots, potatoes, etc.).
2
Place the flattest part of the vegetable on the cutting board. If the vegetable is completely round and doesn't have a flat side (like an onion), cut it in half and then place the flat part on the cutting board. This will provide stability, so the vegetable doesn’t move around too much while cutting it.

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3
Place the blade of the knife on top of the vegetable. Then make a "bridge" with the thumb and index finger of the non-dominant hand over the knife. Make sure the bridge is high enough for the blade to fit underneath.
4
Cut through the vegetable with a sawing motion with the knife, moving it back and forth. Avoid slicing the vegetable by moving the knife straight down, as this is more likely to cause your hand to slip and cause an accident.
5
Continue to cut the vegetable into even pieces by repeating steps three and four to the remaining pieces of the vegetable. Repeat until the vegetable is cut as thinly as desired.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Claw Method ^{[2]
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Research source}

1
Choose a vegetable that you would like to slice. This is a good method to use when you want to cut the vegetable into small slices or before you dice the vegetable.
2
Place the flattest part of the vegetable on the cutting board. As stated in the first step of the bridge method, placing the vegetable on the flattest part of it will provide stability so that the vegetable doesn’t move around too much while cutting it.
3
Shape the fingers of the non-dominant hand into a claw shape, and tuck the thumb inside the fingers. The reason you tuck your thumb inside of the “claw” is to keep all of your fingers protected when you chop your vegetables.
4
Rest the "claw" on the edge of the vegetable to be sliced. The “claw” helps keep the vegetable in place when you cut it.
5
Hold the knife in the dominant hand. Holding the knife in your dominant hand gives you more control when cutting your vegetables.
6
Slice the vegetable with the knife in the dominant hand by firmly pushing the blade of the knife downwards. Move the "clawed" fingers along the fruit as the cutting progresses.
7
Cut the vegetable as evenly as you can. Repeat this process until the vegetable is sliced as small as desired.