A sprinkling of fresh herbs quickly adds appealing color, plus flavor and nutrients to foods. Here’s how to chop them to kick up the taste and nutrition of favorite foods in just a few seconds.
CHIVES:
- Quickly snip small bundles of chives with a kitchen scissors OR
- Cut bundles on a cutting board with a very sharp chef’s knife
CILANTRO, PARSLEY, AND OTHER
SMALL-LEAVED DELICATE HERBS:
- Remove leaves by hand
- It’s OK to include some tender stems
THYME, OREGANO, ROSEMARY, TARRAGON AND OTHER STURDY STEMMED, SMALL-LEAFED HERBS:
- Hold thumb and index finger together; run down the stem in the opposite direction the leaves have grown
CHOPPING HERB LEAVES INTO SMALLER AMOUNTS:
- Bunch leaves on cutting board
- Use a sharp chef’s knife so as not to bruise the leaves
HOW TO CUT WITH A CHEF’S KNIFE:
- Place fingertips on tip of a chef’s knife and rock blade briefly back and forth. Re-gather leaves and chop again if a smaller size is desired.
BASIL, MINT, SAGE AND OTHER LARGE, LEAFY HERBS:
- A technique called “chiffonade” can be used with these herbs
- This method cuts these herbs into narrow ribbons
HOW TO CHIFFONADE:
- Stack 5 or 6 leaves, and roll tightly
HOW TO CHIFFONADE:
- Cut crosswise into narrow ribbons
My husband and I enjoy eating healthy foods, but they must taste good and be quick to prepare.