How to Cut Cabbage for Slaw, Stir Fry, or Sauerkraut

Cabbage is an affordable and versatile vegetable that boasts loads of vitamins and minerals. Raw cabbage has a peppery flavor and a firm, crunchy texture, while cooked cabbage is softer and milder, with a sweet taste. How to cut your cabbage depends on what you're making. You can prepare cabbage in several different ways:

• Raw in salads
• Braised
• Sautéd and fried
• Grilled
• Pickled or fermented

Cabbage is part of the brassica family of vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. There are many kinds of cabbage, but the types that we see the most are green cabbage, red (or purple) cabbage, savoy cabbage, and  Napa cabbage.

The different ways to cut a cabbage

There are numerous ways to cut cabbage. How you cut this vegetable depends on what you want to use it for.

• Cabbage quarters work nicely for dishes in which you will be braising, roasting, or grilling the cabbage.
• Shredded cabbage is the go-to. You can use this for coleslaw, in salads, soups, stir-fries, and pickles.
• If you want to make stuffed cabbage rolls, you will use the outer leaves of the cabbage and keep them whole.
• Cabbage squares work nicely in soups or for fermenting.

The best way to cut cabbage

The best way to cut cabbage is with the correct equipment. To safely cut a cabbage, you will need:

• A chef’s knife with a strong, heavy handle, and a sharp blade
• A sturdy chopping board

How to cut cabbage for slaw

For use in coleslaws and salads, one ideally wants nice thin slivers of cabbage. These work equally well for use in stir-fries and soups. Here is a step-by-step on how to cut cabbage for slaw:

1. Prepare your cabbage by removing any outer leaves that are brown or damaged. Rinse the cabbage head under cold water.
2. Place your cabbage on a clean, sturdy chopping board. Make sure that the stem is facing down.
3. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut through the middle of the cabbage from top to bottom.
4. For shredded cabbage, you will want to remove the firm inner stem of the vegetable. Do this by cutting at a forty-five-degree angle on either side of the core into the center of the cabbage. Remove the core.
5. Place the half cabbage sliced side down on your cutting board. Cut thin slices from top to bottom. Work from the end furthest from the stem. If your cabbage is too big for your knife to comfortably slice it in half, cut it into quarters before slicing.
6. If you prefer longer slices, you can slice down the length of the half or quarter that you are slicing rather than across the width.

How to cut cabbage into wedges

For a recipe of roasted or braised cabbage, you might want to cut your cabbage into wedges. To keep the cabbage quarters neat and prevent leaves from falling off, you will want to keep the core intact. Here is how to do so:

1. Trim the stem of the cabbage to leave a fresh cut.
2. Place the cabbage stem down on the chopping board and cut it in half from top to bottom.
3. Place a cut half, cut-side down on the board, and cut in half again. Depending on the size of the cabbage and the size of the wedges that you want, you can slice each quarter in half again.

How to cut cabbage into squares

Squares of cabbage are suitable for soups and fermenting.

1. Cut the cabbage in half from top to bottom.
2. Halve and quarter the cabbage.
3. Remove the center of the cabbage by cutting diagonally from where the leaves meet the core.
4. Cut each quarter into three or four slices.
5. Turn the slices ninety degrees and cut perpendicularly to the direction you just cut in to make square slices.

How to cut cabbage with a mandolin

Slicing fruit and vegetables with a  mandolin is an efficient way to yield uniform pieces quickly. You can use a mandolin to slice cabbage too! It’s a great way to shred cabbage when you are making large quantities for a party.

1. Set your mandolin on a sturdy surface and set the blade to your desired size.
2. Cut the cabbage into quarters to fit on the surface of the mandolin. Remove the core of the cabbage.
3. Using the guard, move the cabbage quarter across the mandolin’s blade.
4. When you get to the end of the wedge, remove the last little piece from the guard and slice it using your chef’s knife.

How to store cabbage

Buying a whole head of cabbage is the healthier option. Cut cabbage will spoil more quickly. Also, by cutting fruit and vegetables, you expose a greater surface area to air. This leads to oxidation of precious nutrients such as vitamin C. if you buy a whole cabbage head and don’t need it all right away, only slice what you need. Store the remainder of the cabbage in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Cabbage can last up to two months in this way.

If you have cut too much cabbage, place the shredded cabbage in a sealed container in the fridge. It should last for at least three days.

More resources related to cabbage

If you found this information helpful but you’re looking for more inspiration, consider our additional related resources:

• Purple Cabbage – All You Need to Know
• Cabbage– All You Need to Know
• Napa Cabbage – All You Need to Know
• Savoy Cabbage – All You Need to Know

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