this post may contain affiliate links. if you click on my affiliate links, I am going to receive a tiny commission. this is at no extra cost to you AND much of the time, you will receive an offer. win/win! I only advertise products that I believe in and use myself. thank you for supporting my blog!
Check out my favorite julienne peeler HERE!
One of My Favorite Kitchen Tools
The julienne peeler has easily become one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. This small tool truly is proof that mighty gifts sometimes come in small packages. I could drone on and on about why I love my OXO Julienne Y-Peeler:
- size—it comes in a compact size. It easily fits in my smallest kitchen drawer. No more clunky, oddly-shaped, hard-to-clean and even-harder-to-store spiralizers.
- comfortability—it has a comfortable soft grip handle so my hands don’t hurt at the end of my prep session.
- durability—the blade is made with Japanese stainless steel that can handle being in the dishwasher and will never rust.
- prepping—it makes prepping vegetables fun and easy, so I actually eat more vegetables and find new ways to enjoy them.
- saves time—julienning vegetables is one of the most time-consuming (and potentially dangerous) ways to cut vegetables. A julienne peeler produces beautiful, long, and even shreds in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken to julienne by hand.
- making new or exciting dishes—because I save time by using a julienne peeler, I’m more open to trying dishes that I might’ve seen as time-consuming before (example: homemade slaws, Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon).
Oops, I guess I did drone on and on.
Anyway! Let’s get into 7 creative ways that you can use a julienne peeler to create healthy, delicious meals that look great!
1. Cucumber Salads
This is probably the #1 thing that I make with my julienne peeler. And I mainly make Asian cucumber salads.
A julienne-peeled cucumber salad is so enticing and fun to eat because of the noodle-like shreds. You can eat the cucumber noodles just as they are with the dressing of your choice OR you can salt then rinse/strain your cucumbers if you want to remove some of the water first, then add your dressing.
2. Pickled Veggies – Đồ Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Carrot & Daikon)
Pickled vegetables make a wonderful topping to so many types of meals and dishes (salads, bowls, tacos, sandwiches, and more). However, depending on what veggie you’re pickling, it can take a lot of prep work.
One of my favorite pickled veggie sides to make is đồ chua—Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon—but julienning carrots is hard work (daikon too, but carrots are way worse) and my hands always hurt afterward. Sometimes the idea of prep work alone is enough to make me decide against making pickled veggies.
But! With a handy-dandy julienne peeler, I have no excuse not to make the pickles! The julienne peeler is quick and much less painful than julienning by hand. So what used to take me an hour to make, now takes 15 minutes.
3. Slaws
Slaw can mean more than just coleslaw! Personally, I love coleslaw, but some people don’t. I don’t understand it, but that doesn’t matter. If you’re someone who doesn’t like traditional coleslaw, there are many other types of slaws out there—ones with apples or carrots, tangy ones, Asian ones, spicy ones, I’ll bet there’s a slaw out there for everyone.
An interesting one that my friend sent to me is this carrot-mustard slaw by Food Network Kitchens.
With a julienne peeler, you can use fresh veggies and have them beautifully shredded in minutes. You’ll be making any type of slaw your heart desires simply because you can!
4. Veggie Sushi
I am half Japanese and am not afraid to admit that some of my favorite sushi rolls are veggie rolls.
Have you ever seen the rolls at sushi restaurants where the cucumbers and other veggies inside are julienned so thinly and neatly? Well now you can make those rolls at home and look like a fancy chef doing it!
I even whip these up for lunch on the days that I work from home because it’s that easy.
Just add julienned cucumbers, a little bit of leftover meat or tofu (whatever protein you want), roll it up, dip in soy sauce and enjoy!
5. Green Papaya Salad
Nothing makes my mouth water more than a tangy, sweet, spicy, crunchy, refreshing green papaya salad. Have you ever seen those videos of how green papayas are traditionally prepared for this salad? Lots and lots of vertical cuts and then the papaya is shaved/sliced to get thin strips.
This traditional technique is genius and I was fascinated by it when I first saw it!
However, if you want to save time OR if you don’t trust yourself to cut a papaya this way, a julienne peeler is going to be the way to go.
6. Fried Imperial Rolls or Fresh Summer Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)
Just like a few of the other dishes I’ve mentioned, I love summer rolls, but they can take a decent amount of time to prep. You’ve got to wash and prep all the vegetables and herbs, cook the noodles, make the peanut sauce, roll the rolls, and still clean up afterward.
A julienne peeler can ease some of the prep work and save you time. It will help you prep tons of cucumber strips quickly and easily. Julienned cucumbers are perfect for adding inside summer rolls or serving along with fried imperial rolls as they present beautifully.
I recently hosted a summer roll-making party and I laid all the fresh ingredients out on a large serving platter. The julienned cucumbers looked so neat and pretty, and they only took a few minutes to prep.
7. Zoodles
If you’re looking for a fun way to get yourself or your kids to eat more vegetables, making noodles out of zuchinni, squash, carrots, cucumber, etc, might be worth a try. Instead of using a clunky spiralizer with too many parts, simply use a julienne-peeler to make long “noodles”.
The colorful noodles are enticing and healthy. Enjoy with red sauces or a simple garlic butter sauce.
Conclusion
As you can see, one tiny kitchen tool such as the julienne peeler can open up a world of possibilities when it comes to up-leveling your cooking game. It can make prep work easier, more fun, and also lead to you trying new dishes or re-inventing dishes you already love.
Check out my favorite julienne peeler on Amazon by clicking HERE or you can purchase directly from the OXO online store.
Happy julienne-peeling!
Xoxo,
Jac