Here’s how to shred, or “shred” a head of cabbage. Learn how to cut cabbage for your coleslaws, soups, salads, and stir-fry recipes. Follow our step-by-step instructions, photos and watch the video that shows 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’re wondering how to cut it, here are the steps to safely chopping cabbage.
equipment
- cutting board: You will need a large cutting board to cut the cabbage. Make sure to place a damp towel or a piece of sticky shelf wrap under your cutting board to keep it in place while cutting.
- Big sharp knife: I recommend using a chef’s knife to cut cabbage.
- Mandolin: Alternatively, you can use a mandolin to slice the cabbage (this makes very nice thin cutlets perfect for coleslaw). dangerous!
How many cabbages does a head make?
This will vary depending on the size of your cabbage. We’ve found that a 2 pound head makes about 8 to 9 cups of finely shredded or chopped cabbage.
cabbage varieties
As we discuss in our comprehensive cabbage guide, there are many varieties of cabbage. Common types that you can find in most supermarkets in North America are:
- green and red cabbage
- savoy
- Napa cabbage and Chinese cabbage
The following tutorial is an effective way to chop any of these cabbages. Note the exception for slicing Chinese cabbage below.
Video: Core and slice cabbage
cabbage recipes
Thank you for reading! If you’re new here, you might want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes straight to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and Leave a star rating and review. I’d love to hear what you think!
Have fun cooking! ~Kati
Press
Description
Learn how to cut cabbage for your coleslaws, soups, salads, and stir-fry recipes. Follow our step-by-step guide and watch the video showing how to properly and safely chop any type of cabbage
1 Head cabbage, each variety (approx 2 Lb)
- First, remove any loose or discolored outer leaves and trim off the stem end if necessary. Then quarter the cabbage through the stalk.
- Next, remove the core from each cabbage wedge by cutting a diagonal wedge from each.
- After the core has been removed, you can cut the wedges in half again to make them more manageable when slicing.
- Next, lay each wedge cut side down (for stability) and then thinly slice into fine strips.
Remarks
For Chinese cabbage or other Chinese cabbage
For bok choy (above) or bok choy, you should basically do the same thing with one exception. After the core has been removed and the wedges have been cut into smaller sections for easier cutting, take half of the wedge and pull half of the leaves into two separate stacks so the leaves lie flat. Press them down (rib side up) into a flat stack as you cut.
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: n / A
- Category: Vegetables
- Method: knife skills
- Kitchen: American
Nourishment
- 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 started working in the test kitchen for EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications. Her cookbook Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. In 2009 she started Healthy Seasonal Recipes. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow lab dogs. In her free time, she can be found at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.