The 5 Most Daunting Autumnal Veg to Cut (and the Best Knife for Each)

Struggling with cutting butternut squash, mushrooms or onions? Discover 5 of the hardest vegetables to cut and the right GLOBAL knife for each, with expert tips for safer, easier and quicker prep.

Autumn is the season for hearty soups, roasts and slow-cooked comfort food. It’s also the season where your knife and knife skills really get put to the test, especially when prepping vegetables. Autumnal vegetables can be too hard, too round or too slippy and the wrong knife can make prep work dangerous!

How to Prep the Top 5 Most Daunting Vegetables

Google searches around ‘how to cut vegetables’ soar around this time of year, with September 2026 seeing a 46% increase in searches around vegetable prep. Here are the five most daunting vegetables to cut, how to prep each one and which GLOBAL knife we recommend.

How to Prep Butternut Squash (+85% search increase)

Butternut squash is dense, with a tough skin and bulbous base that rolls around the board. Google searches show it’s the vegetable most people dread in autumn soup season!

1. Cut a thin slice off the base so the squash sits flat before you cut. Don’t try to cut a wobbling vegetable!
2. Stand it upright and cut straight down, separating the two parts.
3. Peel each part with a vegetable peeler or peeling knife.
4. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
5. Cut into planks, strips or cubes depending on your recipe.

Best Knife for Cutting a Butternut Squash: Large Cook’s Knife

The G-2 is a large chef’s knife with a long, ultra sharp 20cm blade that cuts straight through dense squash. Its sharp edge slices in one clean stroke, rather than needing to force it, so you need less pressure and have more control.

How to Prep Pumpkin (+ 65% search increase)

Pumpkin is the biggest and toughest of the group, and the thick ridged skin makes it harder to grip. Discover 5 delicious pumpkin recipes you'll make on repeat.

1. Cut off the stem and slice the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. If you’re struggling, try microwaving the pumpkin for 2-3 minutes to soften the skin (make sure to pierce the pumpkin first!).
2. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh.
3. Place each half cut side down on the board before slicing into wedges. You can remove the skin with a peeler or roast it with it on.

Best Knife for Cutting a Pumpkin: Large Chef’s Knife / Chinese Chopping Knife

The broad, heavy blade of the G-49 or G-50 Chinese choppers work like a vegetable cleaver, powering through thick skin and flesh while keeping your knuckles clear of the blade. Likewise, a large, bladed chef’s knife provides the length and weight needed to  safely slice through the thick skin and dense flesh.

How to Prep Fennel (+19% search increase)

Fennel’s layered bulb, woody core and delicate fronds often make cooks unsure where to start. Prepped well, its sweet aniseed flavour is delicious raw in salads or when roasted or slow cooked in stews.

1. Cut off the fronds and keep them for a garnish.
2. Trim the root end and remove the tough or bruised outer layers.
3. Halve the bulb from top to bottom.
4. Cut out the dense triangular core.
5. Lay each half flat and slice thinly for salads or cut into wedges for roasting.

Best Knife for Cutting a Fennel: Vegetable Knife

The sharp, rectangular blade creates uniform slices through each layer. The flat edge means the whole blade comes into contact with the cutting surface for a quicker and more efficient cut.

How to Prep Mushrooms (+19% search increase)

Mushrooms are soft, but they bruise easily and slide about which can make uniform slices a challenge. 

1. Wipe with a damp cloth or soft brush, do not soak them as they absorb water which will make them turn soggy when cooked.
2. Trim the dry end of the stalk.
3. Slice the mushroom in half so it sits flat on the board.
4. Slice or dice into even pieces using a gentle push cut rather than pressing down.

Best Knife for Cutting a Mushroom: Utility Knife or Paring Knife

The small precise blade gives you control over the delicate caps and the razor-sharp edge cuts without crushing.

How to Prep Onions (+15% increase)

Onions are the base of countless soups, stews and sauces but they are slippery and can even make your eyes water! A very sharp knife damages fewer cells which means fewer of the compounds that make your eyes sting are released.

1. Cut off the top, leaving the root end intact as it holds the onion together while you cut.
2. Halve the onion top to root and peel off the skin.
3. Place the half cut-side down. Make vertical cuts towards the roots for thin slices or horizontal cuts for half rings. For a dice make the vertical cuts without cutting the root and then make the horizontal cuts.

Best Knife for Cutting an Onion: Santoku Knives

The flatter blade is then perfect for efficiently slicing the flesh into even slice or dices without crushing them. GLOBAL offers an option of plain or fluted blades. The indentations of a fluted blade help prevent onion from sticking to the blade as you cut.