1 head cabbage
How to Cut Cabbage
Yield: ½ a medium (2 pound) cabbage = approximately 8 cups shredded
Breaking down a whole head of cabbage is easy to do with this simple method. The result is fresh, crisp wedges and shreds that add crunch and nutrition to so many recipes–and the shreds will be fresher and cheaper than a bag of pre-shredded slaw.
Ingredients
Instructions
- First remove any wilted or discolored outer leaves, and then rinse the cabbage under cold water and pat dry.
- Place the cabbage on a cutting board, stem side down. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the head in half lengthwise from the top through the center of the core.
- Place the cabbage halves cut-side down, and slice in half again, into quarters.
- Flip the quarters up, and make a diagonal cut to remove the core, discarding the core. (It’s the solid part where the stem meets the leaves.) If you’d like to keep the cabbage in halves: Remove the core by making a V-shaped cut. For wedges: Depending on desired use, you may keep the quarters as is or slice in half again for thinner wedges.
- To shred the cabbage: For short strips, thinly slice along the short side of the cabbage. (For a visual reference, see photos in the post, above.) For longer shreds, slice along the length of the quarters. Helpful tip: For finer hand-cut shreds, I find it easiest to slice along the long edge. You can create resistance by pressing your knife into the slant of the wedge, which allows for better control when aiming for fine shreds.
- If you’d like to use a mandolin: Set the mandolin to slice using your desired thickness, and then run the quartered cabbage back and forth over the blade. Note that the julienne setting will create tiny pieces rather than nice shreds. Also, to protect fingers from the razor sharp blade, it’s best to wear a protective glove or use a guard.
- To use a food processor: Using the slicing disk (the shredding disk tends to create small, rice-like bits instead of shreds), add the quarters to the feed chute, and process. You will likely have to trim the cabbage to fit in the chute. After trimming, place the flat end down.