Here is how to cut up or “shred” a head of cabbage. Learn how to cut cabbage for your slaw, soups, salads and stir-fry recipes. Follow our step-by-step instructions, photos and watch the video showing how to properly and safely cut any type of cabbage.
If you have a recipe that calls for shredded cabbage, sliced cabbage or chopped cabbage and you are wondering how to cut it here are the steps to cut cabbage safely.
Equipment
- Cutting Board: You will want a large cutting board to cut the cabbage. Make sure to place a damp towel or square of sticky shelf liner under your cutting board to keep it from slipping as you cut.
- Large Sharp Knife: I recommend using a Chef’s knife for cutting cabbage.
- Mandoline: Alternatively you can use a mandoline to slice the cabbage (this makes very nice thin shreds that are perfect for slaw.) But if you do use a mandoline you will want to use a cut proof glove and use the hand shield too as they can be dangerous!
How Much Cabbage Does One Head Yield?
This varies depending on the size of your head of cabbage. We found that a 2-pound head yields about 8 to 9 cups of finely shredded or chopped cabbage.
Varieties Of Cabbage
As we discuss in our Comprehensive Guide To Cabbage, there are many varieties of cabbage. Common types you can find at most supermarkets in North America are:
- Green and Red Cabbage
- Savoy cabbage
- Napa Cabbage and Chinese Cabbage
The below tutorial is an effective way to chop any of these varieties of cabbage. Note the exception for cutting Napa Cabbage below.
Video: How To Core and Slice Cabbage
Cabbage Recipes
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Description
Learn how to cut cabbage for your slaw, soups, salads and stir-fry recipes. Follow our step by step instructions and watch the video showing how to properly and safely cut any type of cabbage
1 head cabbage, any variety (about 2 pounds)
- First, remove any loose or discolored outer leaves and trim the stem-end if necessary. Then cut the cabbage into quarters through the stem.
- Next, remove the core from each wedge of cabbage by slicing a diagonal wedge from each.
- After the core is removed, you can cut the wedges in half again to make them more manageable for slicing.
- Next, lay each wedge, cut side down (for stability) and then thinly slice through into fine strips.
Notes
For Napa Cabbage or Other Chinese Cabbages
For Napa Cabbage (above) or Chinese Cabbage, you’ll want to do basically the same thing with one exception. After the core is removed, and the wedges cut into smaller section to make them easier to cut, take half of the wedge, and pull half off the leaves into two separate stacks so the leaves lay flat. Press them down (rib side up) into a flat stack as you cut.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: na
- Category: Vegetable
- Method: Knife Skills
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 17
Keywords: how to cut cabbage, how to chop cabbage, how to shred cabbage
About the Author
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple Quirk Books was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.