The Tip You Can't Afford To Forget When You're Cutting Cabbage

While it may not be as hip and trendy as healthy foods like kale and açai, cabbage is also a delicious superfood used in many cuisines around the world. Cabbage has been having moment with the rising popularity of cabbage steaks as a vegan alternative, but shredded cabbage is also a wonderful way to eat this crunchy cruciferous vegetable. There are many different variations on coleslaw, but is there one easy way to shred cabbage? According to Hadar Cohen-Aviram, executive chef at McCormick, who recently released its flavor of the year, there is!

"I use cabbage in my salad every day," she tells us, so we know we're in good hands. She continues: "I slice it through the root. I put the cut half down so that it's safe and it's not wobbly, and I just start shaving it." To get it the right consistency, "you very gently shave it, almost not touching the cabbage itself."

Along with securing your cabbage with the flat side down, you should also make sure the cabbage is fresh before you work with it. Hadar Cohen-Aviram says for a green cabbage it's always best to remove any leaves that have turned yellow or black. If you're working with red cabbage, remove any dark or dry leaves. "I would put them in the compost," She says. "When [leaves are not on] top, you're just not going to get the same experience, the same flavor."

As for any extra shredded cabbage, Cohen-Aviram says she keeps it in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag. "It gets moldy pretty quickly. As long as it's intact, it won't go moldy, but once you slice it, there's no way to keep it," she tells us. So make sure you plan on more than just coleslaw — whip up a cabbage and chili crisp stir fry the next day.