How to Chop an Onion in Four Easy Steps

by Ken Haedrich

Whether you're making a sandwich or cooking dinner, there's a good chance that you may be chopping up onions for added flavor.
These wrapped wonders are not only good for cooking, but also provide natural health benefits!
Here are tips on how to chop an onion in four easy steps from expert cook Ken Haedrich.

1. Select a sharp chef's knife. Before you begin, peel off as many layers of papery skin as you can, the better to make your first cut without your knife glancing off the surface. Pull off any hairy roots, too. They have an unappetizing way of ending up where they shouldn't. Place the onion on its side on a chopping board. Hold your knife comfortably, with your forefinger running down one side of the blade and your thumb pressed against the opposite side. With one fell swoop, slide the knife down and away from you, slicing off the top half inch of the onion. (If your knife isn't particularly sharp, first pierce the surface of the onion with the tip of your knife so the blade has a starting notch.)
   
2. Turn the onion so it rests on the newly cut flat surface. Starting at the center of the root end, slice the onion in half. Peel off any remaining skin.
   
3. Rest half the onion on its largest flat surface, root end pointing away from you. Working from the far edge of the onion toward your body, slice down through the onion, leaving about 1/2 inch between each cut. Do not, however, slice through the onion at the root end. (An intact root end keeps the onion from falling apart.)
   
4. Rotate the onion so the end cut faces your knife blade. Then make 1/2-inch cuts perpendicular to the first set of cuts. The onion will fall apart into neat, 1/2-inch dice. Discard root. Repeat with the other half.