How to Cut Cabbage for Slaw in 5 Steps

Follow these steps to cut green cabbage, red cabbage, or Savoy cabbage to make cabbage slaw:

1. 1. Gather your materials. To cut a whole head of cabbage, make sure you have a cutting board and a sharp chef's knife.
2. 2. Wash the cabbage. Rinse the head of cabbage, removing any wilted, browned, or tough outer leaves.
   
3. 3. Cut the cabbage in half. Placing the cabbage on the cutting board, cut it in half through the stem.
4. 4. Quarter the cabbage. Place the cut-side of the cabbage halves down, then cut the cabbage halves in half through the stem. You should now have four quarters of cabbage.
5. 5. Remove the core. Flip the cabbage quarters onto the curved sides and cut out the core of the cabbage, which is tough to eat.
6. 6. Slice the cabbage wedges. Put the cabbage quarters onto the flat sides so you can cut the cabbage wedges into thin strips for slaw. For long strips, cut the cabbage wedge lengthwise in quarter-length strips. For short strips of cabbage, cut the cabbage quarters widthwise.

Napa cabbage looks more like a head of lettuce than a tightly packed head of cabbage, and the method for cutting is slightly different than other cabbages. To cut a Napa cabbage, slice off the bottom where the stem is located. Then, slice the Napa cabbage into thin slices width-wise.

When cutting a head of cabbage for coleslaw, keep these tips in mind:

1. 1. Use a mandolin. You can run quarters of cabbage against a mandolin or a grater to cut. Just be careful not to cut your fingers against the mandolin.
2. 2. Separate the cabbage leaves. The cabbage leaves may stick together after you slice the cabbage. Use your fingers to spread the cabbage apart.
3. 3. Store the cut cabbage. You can store sliced cabbage in the refrigerator for one to three days. Do not combine the cabbage with dressing or sauce unless you are serving it that day.

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