How to Julienne Vegetables: Easy Methods For Beginners

IndiaBeats

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posted on 10 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Julienning is a special French knife-cutting technique that involves slicing vegetables into thin, uniform matchsticks. There are two different ways to julienne vegetables—the traditional way, where veggies are cut vertically, and an alternate way, where cylindrical veggies are sliced at an angle. We’ll walk you through both methods, so you can start utilizing these techniques in your own cooking.

Things You Should Know

Set the vegetable down and slice it into 2 in (5 cm) chunks.
Cut thin slices off the rounded edges of the vegetable to square it off.
Slice each chunk into ⅛ in (3 mm) thick slabs. Then, stack the slabs horizontally and slice them into thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) matchsticks.

Classic Julienne

Cut your vegetable into 2 in (5 cm) chunks. To start, wash the vegetables you’d like to julienne and slice off the ends. Then, cut the vegetables into smaller chunks with a chef's knife—this helps give julienned vegetables their short, matchstick shape. Peel your veggies ahead of time if they’re root veggies (like carrots or beets).

Slice off the rounded sides of the vegetable to square it off. Place the veggie segments upright on your cutting surface. If your vegetable has rounded edges (like a carrot or zucchini), cut thin slices off the edges to give it a more rectangular shape. This helps the julienne matchsticks to look more uniform and straight. Alternative: Cut off just one rounded edge of the vegetable so it can be horizontally placed on the cutting board without rolling around.

Cut the veggie down its length into thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) thick slabs. Set the vegetable segments horizontally on your cutting board. Then, cut down the veggie lengthwise, creating thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) pieces that resemble planks.

Stack the planks and slice them into ⅛ in (3 mm) thin matchsticks. Horizontally stack the vegetable planks on top of one another. Then, start cutting through this stack in thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) thick matchstick slices. You’ve now successfully julienned your vegetable!

Angled Julienne

Slice into the vegetable at a steep angle. Take a chef knife and cut into the vegetable at a 45-degree angle or higher—the steeper the angle, the longer your julienned sticks will be. Be sure to wash the vegetable ahead of time and slice off the ends. If you’re working with a root vegetable like a beet or carrot, take a moment to peel it. Home chefs find that this julienning method works best with veggies that are on the cylindrical side rather than rounded veggies.

Cut thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) thick slabs on angle. Continue slicing the vegetable at this same angle, creating thin, uniform slices as you go. These slices will appear longer and ovular than a typical round vegetable slice.

Slice the vegetable slabs into thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) matchsticks. Place the sliced veggies down so they’re flat on your cutting surface. Then, vertically slice down each veggie slab, creating thin, ⅛ in (3 mm) matchsticks. This method is great if you’re hoping to save some time since it doesn’t require you to square off your veggies ahead of time.