How to Cut Cabbage – Love and Lemons

Learn how to chop cabbage for slaws, stir fries, soups, and more! This step-by-step guide teaches you how to slice it into wedges, shreds, and squares.

Have you ever wondered how cabbage is cut? you are at the right place! Today, I’m breaking down my favorite easy ways to shred cabbage for salads, slaws, soups, and more.

This post is part of my mission to inspire everyone to eat more cabbage. This humble vegetable is nutritious, delicious, and versatile (not to mention cheap!), but I’ll admit, from the outside, it can be intimidating. Where do you start with a veggie that looks like a miniature globe?

I hope the step-by-step instructions and tips below make preparing cabbage easy. And if you need an idea on how to use it after you harvest it, find some of my favorite cabbage recipes at the bottom of this post!

types of cabbage

When you walk into the produce section of your grocery store, you’ll likely see one or more of these types of cabbage:

• green cabbage (pictured above) – Its crisp, yellow leaves are densely packed in heavy rounded heads. Raw, green cabbage is perfect for classic coleslaw, but it also cooks up well in soups and sautés.
• red cabbage (pictured above) – From the outside, it looks just like kale, except it’s well… red. Add it to a slaw or grain bowl, or stir it up.
• Napa cabbage – This variety of Chinese cabbage has a long, oval shape. The leaves have crisp white stems and soft, fuzzy pale green margins. I enjoy napa cabbage raw or cooked in dishes such as fried and sautéed.
• Savoy Cabbage There is a lot in common between a whole savoy cabbage and a whole kale. both are round; Both are green. But the leaves of Savoy cabbage are much looser, and have a softer, ruffled texture. Although this cabbage variety comes from the French Alps, its tender texture makes it a great sub for napa cabbage in many dishes.

These types of cabbage look different on the outside, but you can use the guide below to learn how to chop any of them!

How to Cut Cabbage into Wedges

Chopping the cabbage into wedges can be your end goal, or it can be the first step toward slicing it into another shape, such as shreds or squares. This breaks down a large, unwieldy head of cabbage into more manageable pieces.

1. Start by removing any outer leaves that are tough, wilted or discolored. Wash the cabbage and pat it dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
2. Then, locate the stem or core. This will be at the bottom of the cabbage where the leaves join together.
3. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cabbage in half lengthwise through the core.
4. Cut the halves in half, again lengthwise through the core, to make four wedges.

Are wedges your stopping point? Continue slicing the cabbage pieces through the core until the wedges are your desired thickness. I find that 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick is a great size for searing or roasting.

Want to learn how to cut cabbage into thin slices or squares? keep reading!

How to Cut Shredded Cabbage

First thing first: refer the above section to learn How to Cut Cabbage into Wedges,

1. When you have four wedges, place one wedge cut side down on your cutting board.
2. Cut diagonally along the core to remove it from the wedge.
3. Then, using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the cabbage wedges crosswise, working from the pointy end down to where you cut the core.
4. Repeat with remaining wedges!

That’s it! Use shredded cabbage in coleslaw, tacos, and more.

• Variation 1: For longer pieces, Cut the cabbage lengthwise instead of diagonally. Slice it thinly along one of the cut sides of each wedge.
• Variation 2: For very finely chopped cabbage, Use a mandoline slicer. Hold a cabbage wedge at the head end and run the tip over the mandolin blade to slice it. Be sure to use the security guard!
• Variation 3: For Shredded Cabbage, Like I use in my Cabbage Soup, cut each veg into even slices about 1 inch in length. Then, cut 1-inch slices to make a grid. The cards will separate into squares.

Favorite Cabbage Dishes

So, you learned how to chop cabbage. How are you going to cook it? If you’re in need of some inspo, try making one of these recipes:

You can find even more delicious cauliflower recipes in my new cookbook, Love and Lemons Simple Feel Good Good Food,

In fact, it includes a 3-day meal plan designed to use up an entire head of cabbage! Plan’s recipes—Seared Cabbage Wedges, Loaded Pita Nachos (pictured below), and Chickpea Tacos with Pickled Cabbage (pictured below)—are some of my favorites in the book. Pre-order it now to receive the FREE BONUS eBook!

how to cut cabbage

prep time: 10 minutes

total time: 10 minutes

works 8

Learn how to chop cabbage for slaws, soups, and more! All you need is a sharp knife and a cutting board.

• Remove any outer leaves from cabbage that are tough, discolored or discolored. Wash and dry the cabbage. Place on a cutting board.

• Locate the stem or core at the bottom of the cabbage where the leaves join together. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the cabbage in half vertically through the core. Cut each half vertically through the core to make four wedges.

• To cut thin wedges for roasting or searingContinue slicing the cabbage wedges vertically through the core until they reach your desired thickness.

• To cut shredded cabbage for slices or sauté, Place one cabbage cut side down on your cutting board. Cut diagonally along the core to remove it from the wedge. Finely chop the cabbage, working from the sharp end to the core. Repeat with remaining wedges.

• To chop shredded cabbage for stir fries or soups, Cut each wedge lengthwise into 1-inch slices, then crosswise across 1-inch slices to make a grid. The cards will separate into squares.

• Get the recipe suggestions in the post above, or check out these 17 Best Cabbage Recipes.