How to Core and Shred Cabbage

Don’t think of cabbage as a bland, boring vegetable, it’s actually quite versatile. It can be eaten raw, sautéed, roasted and fermented. Cabbage is also considered to have many health benefits, which include being low in calories and packed with vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium and more.

This cruciferous, leafy green vegetable has a dense leaf structure that can pose some challenges when cutting it. Learning how to core and shred cabbage will make prep work easier and safer.

I recommend using Cutco’s 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife to trim the base off the cabbage, cut it into quarters and then to cut out the core. For thinly slicing the quarters into shreds, switch to the 7-3/4" Petite Slicer. Its sharp Double-D® edge is easy to maneuver and moves smoothly through the layers of cabbage without wavering.

Once shredded, cabbage is ready to toss into a summer slaw, comforting soup or a hot sauté pan for braising. If you want to use larger chunks of cabbage for roasting or adding to other recipes, cut it to the desired size after quartering it and cutting out the core.

I find it fascinating the many flavors cabbage can take on. Raw it almost has a peppery taste, but cooked, it softens and has a sweeter flavor. If you’ve ever made homemade sauerkraut, the cabbage becomes sour, with a bit of sweet and salty mixed in.

How to Core and Shred Cabbage

1. Using a 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife, trim off the bottom of the head of cabbage.
2. Rest the bottom of the head of cabbage flat on the cutting board and cut in half.
3. Rest the halves flat on the cutting board and cut in half to create quarters.
4. Lay the quarters flat on the cutting board with the core facing away from you. Angle the chef knife and cut off the core.
5. Using a 7-3/4" Petite Slicer, thinly slice the quarters crossways to create shreds.