How to Shred Cabbage 4 Ways

When making a recipe that uses cabbage, it’s tempting to spend the extra cash to buy your cabbage pre-shredded. If you’re looking to make enough coleslaw, fried cabbage or soup for a group, that could really add up. Instead, nix the mix and opt for buying a whole head of cabbage. We’ll show you how to shred it to help you save money and give you the freshest salads and sides.

How to Shred Cabbage

How to Prep Cabbage

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There are two difficult parts when it comes to slicing cabbage: It rolls around the cutting board and it has a hard-to-cut core at the center. This method quickly addresses both of those challenges to make shredding cabbage quick and easy.

First, cut the cabbage stem so it sits flat on the cutting board. Then, starting from the rounded top of the cabbage, slice straight down the middle to cut it in half. Next, on one half of the cabbage, make a diagonal cut on one side of the stem. Then, repeat on the other side of the stem. Finally, pull the stem out of the cabbage and discard. Repeat this process on the other half of the cabbage. Now you’re ready to shred!

Shred the Cabbage

Shred cabbage with a knife

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To shred cabbage by hand, you’ll need a sharp chef’s knife. Place one cabbage half, flat side down onto a cutting board. Slice it into ribbons using parallel cuts along the horizontal edge.

This method gives you the most control over the size and appearance of the cabbage shreds. Make the ribbons uniform in width for a traditional slaw or vary the width of your slices for a more rustic look, like in this Roasted Cabbage & Onions recipe.

Also, check these amazing coleslaw mix recipe to make for the dinner.

Shred cabbage with a box grater

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For the finest, smallest pieces of shredded cabbage, use a box grater for shredding. First, place a box grater on a cutting board. This will catch the cabbage. (We like these flexible chopping mats that make pouring cabbage into a pot or bowl easy.) Then, hold the flat side of the cabbage head against the largest holes on the box grater and slide the cabbage down over the holes. Repeat until the cabbage is shredded.

Shred cabbage with a mandoline

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Shredding cabbage with a mandoline will result in very consistent shreds. Take the cabbage halves you prepped above and cut them each in half again, so you’ll have cabbage quarters. Then use the safety attachment to hold the cabbage as you carefully slide it over the mandoline blade. Once the quarter gets too small to safely hold with the attachment, move on to the next quarters. You can shred the remaining cabbage with a knife or use it for another purpose.

Check out these mandoline safety tips before using. Don’t have one? These are the best mandoline slicers, according to our Test Kitchen.

Shred cabbage in a food processor

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It takes less than two minutes to shred a whole head of cabbage in a food processor. Use the shredding blade that comes with your food processor. Make sure that the small rounded shredding blades are facing up when you place the attachment into your food processor. Then, cut the halves of cabbage into wedges that are small enough to fit into the processor’s feeding tube. Gently push each wedge into the blade until all of the cabbage is shredded.

For smaller food processors, you may need to empty the shredded cabbage a few times to make enough room in the food processor.

How to Use Shredded Cabbage

Shredded cabbage is a popular ingredient in both hot and cool dishes. Coleslaw makes an excellent side for barbecue dishes. Fried cabbage is another easy side that uses shredded cabbage. But cabbage doesn’t need to be relegated to side dishes, it also takes center stage in warming soups and hearty Asian chicken salads.

Cabbage has outstanding health benefits including high fiber and plenty of vitamins. Adding a handful of this nutritious vegetable to any of your favorite salad recipes is a good idea. By the way, this is how to cook cabbage so it’s less gassy.

Tips for Shredded Cabbage

How much shredded cabbage does one medium head yield?

You’ll get about eight cups of shredded cabbage from one medium head. That’s a lot of cabbage! If you don’t plan to use it all at once, there are several ways to store cabbage.

How to store shredded cabbage

Shredded cabbage that you’ll use in the next two to three days can be stored simply in the fridge in an airtight container. For the best results, store shredded cabbage in a plastic zip top bag. Make sure to squeeze all of the air out of the bag before closing it.

Can you freeze shredded cabbage?

Cabbage will stay good in the freezer for about eight weeks when frozen raw. Simply lay the cabbage shreds in a single layer on a baking sheet or plates and freeze. Once the cabbage is frozen, pack it into freezer bags for long term storage. For the best results, don’t pack the freezer bags too full—crowding will cause the cabbage to become mushy.