Shredding Veggies: 3 Hacks to Follow

Shredding veggies may seem like an easy kitchen task for most people but doing it at every meal on a daily basis can be such a chore. 

To avoid feeling burned out from all the veggie prep, you need to find ways that could make vegetable prep an enjoyable process. Here are 3 hacks you can copy right in the comfort of your own homes:

The Handy Vegetable Peeler Shredding Hack

Vegetable peelers are super cheap. They cost only less than $10 and there’s a good chance you already have one in the kitchen. Some specialty peelers, like the Julienne vegetable peeler, differ slightly in the thickness or size of each shredded part, but they all work the same.

To shred vegetables using a peeler: 

• Peel off the skin and remove the core (for cabbages and similar veggies)
• Cut the vegetable into quarters
• Get one piece and start peeling the flat surface, essentially making thin shreds
• For vegetables like carrots or potatoes that make wide shreds, you can use a knife to “help” the vegetable peeler turn the slices into shredded-like pieces. 

You can shred cabbage, cucumber, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, celery stalks, and other vegetables this way. This hack is ideal if your typical meals don’t require shredded vegetables, you’re not a fan of coleslaw, or you’ll only be shredding veggies occasionally.

Advanced Knife Skills Veggie Shredding Hack

Just like the vegetable peeler, a knife can also be used to shred vegetables to perfection. You won’t need any special knife for this hack, but you should at least have a knife sharp enough to cut through a head of cabbage. 

The closest “shred” you can do with a knife is to Julienne your vegetables. This hack works like this: 

• Cut your vegetable into 4 quarters and remove the stalk, core, membrane or seeds of your veggies. 
• Get one piece of your veggie, place it firmly on your cutting board, so it does not move when you begin cutting. 
• From one side of the vegetable, begin cutting thin slices until you reach the other end. 

The secret to this shredding hack is a sharp knife. The Julienne slices do not need to be uniform in length or thickness – just make sure you cut them as thinly as possible.

I recommend this hack for anyone who wants to spice up their meals with more veggies, or is trying to explore more ways to present their food.

Food Processors for Stress-free Veggie Shredding

If you wish to say goodbye to cutting veggies by hand, the food processor remains the most efficient way of veggie shredding. You can shred fruits like apples and pears, as well as vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, jicama, carrots, potatoes, and the all-time favorite cabbage for unlimited coleslaw. 

There really is no “hack” or magic for shredding veggies with a food processor. It just does the whole process for you. 

• Pick firm produce, peel off the skin, remove seed or core, and clean your vegetables with running water. 
• Slice your vegetables into smaller pieces enough to make them fit through the food tube. 
• Attach the food processor’s shredding blade, the one with raised grater marks on one side of the disc or blade. Most food processors already include this as one of the attachments. You no longer need to buy one. Make sure you attach this blade securely. 
• Attach the food tube and secure the lid. 
• To shred your vegetables, turn on your food processor and place one or two pieces of your veggies into the food tube, slowly pushing down the vegetable using the plastic “pusher.” Don’t attempt to use your fingers to push veggies against the shredding blade. 
• Continue placing all your vegetable pieces down the tube until the entire batch of vegetables are shredded and piled up inside the food processor bowl. 

This “hack” is best for anyone who loves coleslaw but has no time to do it manually. Having a food processor to shred multiple kinds of vegetables is definitely a time-saver and encourages users to try out new recipes. 

The cool thing about food processors is that even smaller, more affordable models have enough power to shred veggies. 

Except for the food processor that could cost between $100 to $500, using a vegetable peeler or knife helps in shredding vegetables quickly and effectively. They do need a lot of practice for you to master shredding vegetables without a machine.  

I recommend you invest in a food processor if you plan to use it at home for your meal prep at least 3 times a week, or if you’re operating a small business from home. The money you use to buy the food processor upfront definitely makes up for the time and effort you’ll save in shredding vegetables.