With fall right around the corner, we’ll all be making lots of soups, stews and casseroles. Most will have a chopped onion or two sautéed in olive oil or butter to start flavoring the dish right. I figured what better time than to brush up on our onion chopping skills. I have VERY sensitive eyes and the quicker I can get the onion chopping done the better. If I don’t get in and out swiftly, I have uncontrollable tears streaming down my face that can’t be stopped. This is my favorite way to get an even, perfectly sized chop and to quickly get the job done to avoid the hours of bloodshot eyes.
Cut the onion in half from root to tip.
You should have 2 pieces the same size that look like this.
Lay the onion, flat side down, and cut off the ends.
Now, peel off the outer layer.
Make vertical cuts on each half. For smaller pieces make more vertical cuts, for larger pieces make less and spread them out more. Make sure not to cut all the way through the back of the onion or it will fall apart. Leave about an 1/8″ intact on the back-end.
Some people make horizontal cuts like so, however I find this step unnecessary as the onion already has naturally horizontal cuts for you if you slice it in half correctly.
After all your vertical cuts are made, slice crossways. Watch all your perfectly chopped pieces form before your eyes. Take that 1/8″ we left intact and cut it along the axis, that will create perfectly uniform pieces.
Voila! Your perfectly chopped onion awaits you.
Have a lovely weekend my friends!
XO, Sarah
I love everything from cake to kale. Life is all about balance. I like to live, laugh and love to the fullest! Our time is too short not to enjoy ourselves.
Nice post! I almost created a post like this for Kitchen Tip Tuesday. Light a candle next time you chop an onion. I burns off all the gases and helps your eyes. (Even a small votive candle works)
Good idea! I’ll give it a try 🙂
Hi Sarah, nice post. I use a lemon wedge (already squeeze inside my mouth, the lemon vapors reduce onion smell and eyes watering! Have a great weekend! xo Cheryl
Thanks, I’ll have to give that a try too!
I have to say, I am an ace at chopping onions… I don’t like doing it because it hurts my eyes, but… I do love cooked onions soooooooo it’s worth it!
So worth it!
Thanks for letting me feel good Sarah :). I now know I chop onions the right way. There are times when I chop the other way as well, for certain dishes. But for the most part, I chop my onions the right way. Love this Sarah.
Glad to know we both do it the same way 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Sarah, This is an excellent post, it’s really clear and informative and the photos are fab!
Thank you for your kind words 🙂