Veggie choppers, if you don’t already know, are great. They can reduce your kitchen prep time by a huge amount, and better yet, you’ll always get a nice, even dice. It feels quite powerful to pop an entire onion into a chopper, press down, and move on to another veggie.
Not sure what to do with all these veggies you’re chopping? Need some fresh inspiration? So did this Redditor. Here are 10 easy, tasty things you can do with your vegetable chopper.Black Bean and Corn Salad
There are many variations of this dish, but one thing is always the same: You need some consistently diced veggies for it to work. “Eat it with tortilla chips or over chopped lettuce.” one Redditor writes.
Recipe: Cooking Classy
Bhel Puri
The popular Indian snack takes many forms, but oftentimes you’ll find bhel made with finely diced tomato, corn, onion, and cucumber. As far as the best healthy snacks go, bhel is right up there towards the top of the list.
Recipe: Cook’s Hideout
Fruit Salad
Vegetable choppers can be a godsend for a fruit salad, especially when you don’t have the patience to deal with something annoying like a pineapple. Or even a regular apple.
Recipe: Just a Taste
Mirepoix
This is what these things were made to do. If you’re in need of the oh-so-classic veggie base of carrots, onion, and celery, you can knock some out in seconds. The Cajun “Holy Trinity” is similar, if you’re not a carrot person; just swap them for bell peppers.
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Salsa
Whether you want classic pico de gallo or something more elaborate, salsa becomes a much easier job with a chopper in hand. If you’ve got some good chilies on deck, give them a kiss on the grill or stovetop first. That flavor will go a long way.
Related: From Bruschetta to Salsa, Here are 10 Ways to Preserve Tomatoes
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Caramelized Onions and Shallots
We all know there are trillions of things to do with onions and shallots once they’re chopped (chili crisp, anyone?), but one of the easiest and most delicious is caramelization. Just toss them into a pan with some butter and a little salt and watch those babies transform.
Related: Just Say Oui: 15 Classic, Budget-Friendly French Dishes
Gazpacho
Soups are already easy with a veggie chopper, but how about one you don’t even need to cook? A blender or food processor does most of the work on this one, but no good gazpacho is served without some diced, fresh veggies as a topping.
Recipe: Spanish Sabores
Looking for more warm weather soup ideas? Here are the best cold soup recipes for summer.
Pesto
Classic pesto is absolutely perfect. The veggie chopper will reduce your pesto prep significantly, and also makes it easier to get creative with variations like broccoli and spinach.
Recipe: 101 Cookbooks
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Quick Pickles
Making pickles and want to add a little bit of flair? Tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and onions might be just what the doctor ordered. In fact, you might not even need cucumbers in there at all.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Want more briny options? Check out these pickle recipes you can make it home.
Raita
This Indian condiment is perfect for just about anything spicy, and with cucumbers as one of its central ingredients, your chopper will be your best friend on this one.
Recipe: Padma Lakshmi
Popular Vegetable Choppers
Convinced you need one now or looking to upgrade your current veggie chopper? We don’t blame you. Here are some of the cheapest and most popular options.
Prices are subject to change.
- Fullstar Vegetable Chopper — $20 from Walmart
- Oxo Vegetable Chopper – $23 from Target
- Maipor Vegetable Chopper – $18 from Amazon
