How to Cut Cabbage

Wondering how to cut cabbage the best way? Slicing up a whole cabbage can seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy to do once you know the right technique and a few tips and tricks!

I used to buy the bagged shredded cabbage all the time, even though I always found the taste to be slightly off. I felt it was too hard to cut up a cabbage myself – until I learned how easy it actually is. Not only is it cheaper to shred your own, it also tastes so much better! A win all around.

Jump to:

• What you’ll need
• How to cut a cabbage
• Different shapes you can slice
• Recipe tips
• Storage tips
• Recipe ideas
• Printable recipe
• More kitchen basics
• Comments

What you’ll need

You need your cabbage, a large chopping board – and I recommend a large chef’s knife for cabbage (I forgot to put it in the photo below, my bad!).

The reason why I like using a large knife for cabbage is because a whole cabbage tends to be pretty big, and with a small paring knife, you’ll be hacking away at it which isn’t just inefficient, it’s also more prone to creating injuries.

How to cut a cabbage

1. Start by washing your cabbage well, then remove the outmost leaves and discard (they are usually somewhat wilted, although some stores may remove them before putting them on display, so you may not need to remove any leaves).

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2. Now trim the bottom stem and discard. You don’t need to slice off a lot, just trim it so the knobbly stem part is removed and you have a flat bottom to rest the cabbage on to slice it further.

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3. Now you have a flat “bottom” to rest your cabbage on to slice it in half.

This is why trimming the stem part away is important – it makes it much easier and safer to halve your cabbage now, because you have a stable surface to rest it on. It’s much harder to slice something like a cabbage when it’s rolling around on your board, so don’t forget to trim that bottom part.

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Once you have cut the cabbage in two halves, you can safely quarter the cabbage by placing each half on its now-cut side and slicing it down the middle.

4. Finally, slice away the core from the bottom of each quarter.

You’ll want to point the cabbage so the core faces away from you for safety. Rest the quarter on its flat bottom part and run the knife from the top of the core (usually starts somewhere in the bottom half of the cabbage) downward to remove the core.

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Most people discard the core, but I often eat it raw ???‍♀️

Different shapes you can slice

Shreds

You can do long shreds or short shreds. Just thinly slice the cabbage quarters across for short shreds or thinly slice them lengthwise for long shreds.

I personally prefer short shreds in most instances, and they are easier to slice vs the long shreds.

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Dice

For dicing, slice the cabbage quarter once or twice lengthwise (how many times you slice it depends on how large your cabbage is and how large or small you want to dice it).

Then just slice across to dice it.

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Food processor/mandoline

You can also very evenly shred your cabbage in a food processor with the blade attachment or by using a mandolin.

I have (affiliate link; I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through) this Breville food processor, which has a wide chute. I can fit an entire cabbage quarter inside, and I like to cut it down the middle to create shorter shreds.

For a mandolin, please do not cut up your cabbage quarters. leave them whole and use a flat side on the mandolin’s blade.

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Recipe tips

• Use a decent, large, sharp kitchen knife when cutting cabbage. It makes it much easier and safer to cut this large, unhandy vegetable.
• Try to always sit the cabbage on a flat/cut part (not possible when you initially trim it, but from thereon out). That way, it will not roll or slip away when you’re trying to cut it.
• This method works for different cabbage types – white, purple, savoy cabbage… As long as it is a cabbage type with this shape, you can cut it this way.
• Place your shredded or diced cabbage into a colander to thoroughly rinse before using. I always do this when I use the cabbage raw, I’m not always as diligent when I use the cabbage in cooked dishes. In theory, the way cabbage grows the inside is protected from dirt and grime by the outer leaves (also a reason why I always discard the outer leaves). But I don’t trust anything around raw vegetables, so I do always rinse it after slicing when using it raw. Make sure to pat it dry with paper towels in order to avoid your dishes turning out watery.

Storage tips

Fridge

Place the cut up cabbage in an airtight container or in a large zip-top bag. Make sure to cover it with a paper towel to soak up any extra moisture.

Place the bag in your crisp drawer and use the cabbage within 3 days.

Freezer

You can freeze cabbage, but it will change the texture a little (the cabbage will soften/wilt during freezing). Freeze cabbage either sliced, diced or in quarters.

1. Blanch: Cabbage needs to be blanched before freezing. Simmer shreds or dice for 30-60 seconds in boiling water, quarters for 1 ½ – 2 minutes (depending on their exact size; the larger, the longer it needs to be blanched).

2. Chill: Immediately drain the blanched cabbage and place it into a large bowl filled with ice water.

3. Flash-freeze: Spread the blanched and iced cabbage on baking trays lined with baking parchment. Freeze until solid, 1-2 hours for shreds/dice and 4-5 hours for quarters.

4. Bag: Label zip-top freezer bags with the name and use-by date (freeze cabbage for up to 6 months). Place the flash-frozen cabbage inside, press out any extra air and zip closed.

5. Freeze: Place the bagged cabbage in the freezer and use within 6 months.

To use in cooked recipes, simply pull your cabbage from the freezer and add it frozen. No need to defrost first! I do not use frozen cabbage in raw recipes, as it does tend to be limp and works better in cooked dishes, such as braised cabbage or in soups.

Recipe ideas

• Use sliced cabbage in coleslaw or to top off shrimp tacos or fish tacos if you’re not in the mood to make a full-on slaw
• Braise it, like my favorite bacon braised cabbage!
• Make Colcannon for St. Patrick’s Day
• Use it in soup, in a stir fry or in a salad!

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

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