This article was co-authored by Dorrenda Smith. Dorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Recipes often call for minced vegetables. Usually, garlic and onions require mincing, but occasionally other vegetables may need to be minced as well. Mincing is a fairly easy process you should be able to pick up quickly with some practice. To mince vegetables, you should first chop them into small pieces. Then, gently rock your knife over your vegetables to work them into even tinier chunks. When you're done, you can toss your minced veggies into your recipe and enjoy the cooking process.
Steps
Chopping the Vegetables
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1Wash your vegetables. Wash your own hands in warm, soapy water for about 20 seconds. Then, rinse your vegetables under the faucet, gently rubbing as needed to remove any stuck on dirt.[1]
- You may need to use a vegetable brush on tougher vegetables, like squash, to get out stuck on dirt and debris.
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2Remove any skins. Things like onions, potatoes, and garlic should usually be peeled prior to cooking. You can simply peel off the skin of onion or garlic, but things like potatoes and squash require a vegetable peeler.[2]
- When peeling an onion, you may accidentally peel off the top layer when removing the skin. You can still use an onion after peeling off the top layer, so do not worry if this happens.
- Not all vegetables require peeling prior to cooking. Consult your recipe to see if you need to peel your vegetables first.
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3Cut the vegetables in half. Cut off any ends with leaves or stems. Then, cut the vegetables in half length-wise. This will make it easier to dice them prior to mincing.[3]
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4Chop the vegetables in perpendicular slices. Hold the vegetables with bent fingers as you cut, keeping your fingers just behind the knife.[4] This allows for greater control while cutting. Cut the vegetables length-wise, keeping the slices about half an inch to a quarter of an inch apart. When you're done, you should have several thin slices of vegetables.[5]
Mincing the Vegetables
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1Line up your vegetable slices. Take the perpendicular slices you just made and place the vegetables on a cutting board. Keep them close together when lining them up, but be sure to avoid any overlap.[6]
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2Dice the slices. Take your knife and cut along the vegetable slices cross-wise. Make a series of cuts, each one about a quarter of an inch apart, running down the lines of vegetables. When you're done, you will be left with small blocks of diced veggies.[7]
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3Push your diced vegetables into a small pile. Some overlap here is okay, as mincing is a less precise process than dicing. Your pile should be small and compact. You can either use your knife or hands to push the vegetables together.[8]
- If you use your hands to push your veggies together, wash your hands first.
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4Rock your knife over your vegetables. Start at one end of your pile. Place the palm of your hand on the dull side of the knife. Use your palm and the hand holding the knife to rock the knife back and forth, following the natural curl of the blade. Move the knife across the pile of veggies gradually, continuing this gentle, rocking motion as you go.[9]
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5Stop rocking just before the vegetables form a paste. Continue with the same basic motions, moving the knife back and forth across your vegetables. The goal is to get the vegetable pieces as small as possible. Once you notice some of the veggies forming a paste-like liquid, stop. This is a sign that the vegetables are adequately minced as they're starting to lose form. Minced vegetables should be mostly solid.[10]
- Times vary depending on the type of vegetable you're mincing. Softer vegetables, like garlic, will mince faster than sturdier vegetables like potatoes.
Speeding Up the Process
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1Invest in a garlic press. Minced garlic is commonly called for in recipes. A garlic press is a device used to mince garlic quickly. You simply peel the garlic, place it in the press, and squeeze the press closed to mince. Garlic presses are cheap and can be purchased at most grocery stores.[11]
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2Use a cheese grater or similar device. A cheese grater, or a similar device, speeds up the mincing process. You simply run the vegetables over the grater after peeling them. They should break apart in tiny, delicate pieces[12]
- A grater is not the best choice for delicate vegetables, like garlic, as will cause them to form a paste.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you cut vegetables without cutting your fingers?
Dorrenda SmithDorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
Personal ChefAlways keep your fingers tucked when using the knife, and always make sure that you have full control of the knife.
References
- ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-wash-fruits-and-vegetables/
- ↑ http://startcooking.com/how-to-mince-dice-and-chop-onions
- ↑ http://startcooking.com/how-to-mince-dice-and-chop-onions
- ↑ Dorrenda Smith. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
- ↑ http://startcooking.com/how-to-mince-dice-and-chop-onions
- ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/how-to-dice-vegetables
- ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/how-to-dice-vegetables
- ↑ https://www.groupon.com/articles/how-to-mince-garlic
- ↑ Dorrenda Smith. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
- ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-mince-chop-garlic-microplane-vs-garlic-press.html
- ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-mince-chop-garlic-microplane-vs-garlic-press.html
- ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-mince-chop-garlic-microplane-vs-garlic-press.html
- ↑ Dorrenda Smith. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
- ↑ https://happyherbivore.com/2015/02/chop-prep-vegetables-quickly-how-to-videos/
About This Article
To mince vegetables, start by removing the outer skin using a knife or veggie peeler, then chop off any stems or ends. Cut the vegetables length-wise into slices, then line the slices up and dice them. Hold the knife in your dominant hand and place the palm of your other hand on the dull side of the knife. Use your palm to rock the knife back and forth over the veggies, chopping them into the smallest pieces possible. Move the knife across the pile gradually, continuing the gentle rocking motion as you go. If you want to learn how to use a grater or food processor to mince your vegetables, keep reading!
