Learn the best tips for how to cut cabbage for slaw, frying, roasting, and more. You’ll learn how to cut it into wedges, squares, and thin strips and get easy recipes that use these preparations.
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Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables. You can roast, braise, or stew it and of course enjoy it raw in slaw. To explore the many variations of this hearty veg, you first need to know how to cut cabbage into different shapes.
How to Clean Cabbage
The leaves on a head of cabbage are tightly packed and usually do not get that dirty. However, you should remove any outer leaves that are dirty, damaged, or wilted. Then, rinse your head of cabbage under cold water to wash away any dirt.
How to Cut Cabbage Into Wedges
Cabbage wedges can be stewed, roasted, or pan-fried. Cutting cabbage into wedges is also the first step in cutting it into other shapes and sizes.
- Slice the head of cabbage in half.
- Cut each half in half again to yield quarters. If you have a really big head of cabbage, you can slice each half into three or more wedges instead depending on what size you want the wedges to be.
- Slice off the core from the bottom of each wedge.
How to Chop Cabbage for Frying
Diced cabbage that’s been cut into squares works best for stir fry and other fried cabbage dishes.
- Repeat steps 1 through 3 above.
- Cut each wedge lengthwise into 1-inch strips.
- Then cut them crosswise into 1-inch squares.
How to Slice Cabbage for Slaw
Thinly sliced pieces of cabbage are key for a good slaw. You can shred cabbage with a knife (as shown below), but the best way to get thin cabbage is to use a mandolin. See my tutorial on How to Shred Cabbage with a Mandolin for tips on this process. Finally, you can shred cabbage for slaw in a food processor using the shredding disk.
If you’re wondering how to cut cabbage for slaw with a knife, follow these steps:
- Cut cabbage into wedges as shown above.
- Slice each wedge into thin strips. You can slice the wedges crosswise or lengthwise.
How to Cut Cabbage Into Steaks
I go through the process of cutting cabbage into circles that resemble “steaks” and include pictures in my Roasted Cabbage Steaks post. I’ve repeated the steps here for your convenience.
- Slice the core off of the bottom of a head of cabbage.
- Place the head of cabbage on one of its sides.
- Cut the cabbage crosswise into ½-inch rounds. A small or medium head of cabbage works best for cutting cabbage steaks.
Recommended Equipment
For chopping any type of vegetable, including cabbage, I prefer bamboo cutting boards with rubber stoppers and a sharp chef’s knife. You can see my recommended brands for these tools by clicking the linked text in the previous sentence.
Cabbage Recipes
Now that you know how to cut cabbage, you’re ready to cook with it! Here are my favorite ways to enjoy cabbage. If you slice too much cabbage, you can freeze it by following the steps in my post on How to Freeze Cabbage.
- Black and Blue Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- Coconut Cabbage Chicken Soup
- Stewed Cabbage, Apples, and White Beans
- Seared Cabbage Wedges with Orange Ginger Tahini
- Red Cabbage Slaw with Beets
- Pickled Red Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage and Potatoes
Watch How to Prep Cabbage
How to Cut Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage
Instructions
Wedges
- Trim the core from the bottom of the cabbage.
- Cut the head of cabbage in half.
- Slice each half into half again to yield quarters. If you want smaller wedges, cut each half into 3 or 4 pieces instead.
- Slice off the core from the bottom of each wedge.
Diced
- Follow the steps above to cut cabbage wedges.
- Cut each wedge lengthwise into 1-inch strips then crosswise into 1-inch squares.
For Slaw
- Follow the steps above to cut cabbage wedges.
- Cut each wedge into thin strips, either lengthwise or crosswise.
- Alternatively, you can use a mandolin or a food processor with a grating disk to get even thinner, stringier pieces.
Steaks
- Trim the core from the bottom of the cabbage.
- Place the cabbage on one of its sides. Cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds.
Video
Notes
- Use cut cabbage immediately in recipes or store in an airtight bag or container in the fridge. It should last for up to 5 days and likely longer.
- If you are only cutting part of a head of cabbage and want to store the rest of the cabbage for another time, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or beeswax. Store in the crisper drawer in the fridge. It will keep this way for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Enjoy your cabbage! – Lizzie
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