How to Cut Cabbage

While it may seem difficult to cut, learn how to easily cut cabbage with this step-by-step guide so you can make anything from braised cabbage to Sauerkraut at home!

What Are Cabbages?

While cabbage may look a lot like lettuce, they do not taste the same and they’re actually a lot closer to broccoli, cauliflower, and kale in classification (Brassica genus).

When raw, cabbage is crunchy and has a slightly bitter taste to it but when cooked, it’s soft with a sweeter taste. Low in calories but rich in nutrients, cabbage is rich in vitamin K, C, B6, and folate!

Affordable and versatile, cabbage can be braised, grilled, sautéed, pickled, and more! It might seem intimidating to cut up at first but this post will guide you through all the ways you can cut it up to cook or eat raw.

Types of Cabbages

Cabbage comes in a variety of shapes and colors. Here are the most common ones you’ll find in your produce aisle.

Green Cabbage: The most popular and common of the cabbages, the green cabbage has pale green tight dense leaves and they are great for anything from shredding for coleslaw and salads to braising to pickling.

Red Cabbage: The red cabbage is pretty much the same as the green cabbage except for the color! Whatever the green cabbage can be cooked in, red can be as well. Some find that the red cabbage has a slightly earthier flavor than green but it’s not too noticeable.

Savoy Cabbage: The prettiest of the cabbages, the savoy cabbage is similar to green cabbage but the leaves are deep green and look like ruffled lace. They’re more soft and tender while raw than their counterparts making them perfect as substitutions for tortilla wraps and for cabbage rolls!

Napa Cabbage: Oblong in shape, the napa cabbage is also called the Chinese cabbage or celery cabbage. It has thick, crisp stems with frilly-looking pale yellow-green leaves. It has a mild flavor, works great for stir fry as it caramelizes well, and is a popular ingredient for kimchi.

How To Pick Cabbage

• Pick heads that feel heavy for their size.
• Cabbage should look crisp and fresh, with few loose leaves. Other than the napa cabbage, the leaves should be tight and not limp.
• Avoid bruised cabbages but the tougher outer leaves can always be peeled off and discarded if not avoidable.

How to Cut a Cabbage into Wedges

• Cut the cabbage in half, from the top of the cabbage through the middle of the stem.
• Place the flat cut-side of the cabbage down and cut the half cabbage into quarters.
• Flip over the quarters and cut diagonally, removing the core.
• If you prefer thinner wedges, you can cut the quarters in half one more time.

How to Cut into Strips

• Cut the cabbage in half, from the top of the cabbage through the middle of the stem.
• Place the flat cut-side of the cabbage down and cut the half cabbage into quarters.
• Flip over the quarters and cut diagonally, removing the core.
• Slice the quarters into thin pieces. For shorter strips, turn the long side facing towards you and cut through the width. For long strips, cut through the length of the cabbage quarters.

How to Shred a Cabbage with a Mandolin

• Cut the cabbage in half, from the top of the cabbage through the middle of the stem.
• Place the flat cut-side of the cabbage down and cut the half cabbage into quarters.
• Flip over the quarters and cut diagonally, removing the core.
• Set the mandolin to your thickness of choice and carefully slide the cabbage quarters through the mandolin to shred it evenly.

How to Cut a Cabbage into Squares

• Cut the cabbage in half, from the top of the cabbage through the middle of the stem.
• Place the flat cut-side of the cabbage down and cut the half cabbage into quarters.
• Flip over the quarters and cut diagonally, removing the core.
• Place the cabbage cut-side down and cut into 3-4 slices, depending on the size of your cabbage. Then repeat perpendicular to the slices to make square cuts of the cabbage.

How to Use Cabbage

• Cabbage wedges are great for grilling and roasting.
• Shredded cabbage is great for coleslaws, salads, stir-frying, Sauerkraut, sautéed, etc.
• Square cut cabbage is great for braising, soups, fermenting, etc.

Recipes to try Using Cabbage

• Chicken Cabbage Soup
• Vegan Detox Cabbage Soup
• Vegetarian Pasta Salad
• Quinoa Veggie Bowl
• Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

When To Buy Cabbage

Cabbage is in-season from late fall to early spring. So warm yourself up with a bowl of my chicken cabbage soup during the winter!

How To Store Cabbage

When bringing cabbage home from the store, store your whole cabbage in the vegetable crisper drawer. Do not wash cabbage until you are ready to use it.

How to Store Cabbage

If you have raw cabbage that has been cut, be sure to use a salad spinner or paper towels to dry the cabbage thoroughly before placing them in an airtight container or sealed bag. When cabbage is properly stored, it can last from 3 weeks to up to 2 months in your refrigerator.

What Knife to Use to Cut a Cabbage

A sharp chef’s knife is all you need to perfectly cut up a cabbage.

Other How-to tutorials you might find helpful

• How to make Zucchini Noodles
• How to Cut Butternut Squash
• Step by step process on How to Cut Kiwi

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