HUB 03 · Guides
How to Cut a Cabbage
A whole cabbage is a big, round, slippery thing to cut. Halve it, kill the core, and it becomes the easiest vegetable in the kitchen.
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A cabbage looks intimidating — big, round, and prone to rolling — but it's one of the simplest vegetables to break down once you know the two moves that matter: create a flat side so it can't roll, and remove the tough core. After that, cutting it into shreds, wedges or dice is easy. Here's the method, and it works the same for green, red and savoy cabbage.
The knife for the job
Use a sharp chef's knife— an 8-inch is ideal, and the reach of a 10-inch helps on a big head. Cabbage is dense, so a sharp edge matters for both clean cuts and safety; a dull knife wedges and slips. Set your board on a damp towel so it can't move, and use the pinch grip and claw from how to hold a chef's knife.
Step by step
How to do it
- 01
Remove any loose outer leaves
Peel off and discard the limp or damaged outer leaves. Rinse the head if it's dirty and pat it dry so it isn't slippery.
- 02
Halve the cabbage through the core
Sit the cabbage on its side and cut straight down through the root end, splitting it into two halves. Cutting through the core keeps the leaves attached so the half holds together while you work.
- 03
Create a flat, stable base
Lay each half flat side down on the board. It now can't roll — this is the single most important safety step with a round vegetable.
- 04
Cut out the core
Cut each half in two again to make quarters, then make a single angled V-cut to remove the hard triangular core from each quarter. Discard the core; the leaves will now separate freely.
- 05
Slice for your dish
For slaw or sauté, lay a quarter cut-side down and slice across it thinly to shred. For roasting or braising, cut the core-in quarters into wedges instead so they hold together. For dice, shred first, then cut across the shreds.
- 06
Keep the claw and let the flat side steady the cut
Throughout, keep your guiding hand in a claw with fingertips tucked, and always work with a flat cabbage face on the board — never cut toward a rounded, unstable surface.
Shred, wedge or dice — which to use
- Shred (thin slices)for coleslaw, stir-fry, sauerkraut and quick sauté. Thinner is better for slaw; a little thicker holds up in a hot pan.
- Wedges (core left in)for roasting and braising — the core holds the leaves together so the wedge doesn't fall apart.
- Dicefor soups and stews — shred first, then cut across.
A note on red cabbage
Red cabbage stains boards and hands and can leave marks on a wood board. It rinses off, but if it's a concern, use a plastic board and wash promptly. The cutting method is identical.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you cut a cabbage for coleslaw?
Halve the cabbage through the core, lay each half flat, cut into quarters, remove the triangular core from each, then lay a quarter cut-side down and slice across it as thinly as you can to shred it.
Do you remove the core of a cabbage?
Yes, for shreds and dice — the core is tough and fibrous. Cut a V into each quarter to lift it out. For roasting wedges, leave the core in so the leaves stay attached.
What knife is best for cutting cabbage?
A sharp 8-inch chef's knife. Cabbage is dense, so a keen edge cuts cleanly and safely; a dull knife wedges and slips. A 10-inch helps on a very large head.
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