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A metal colander filled with finely shredded cabbage, perfect for making a Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad, sits on a countertop, with a cutting board and kitchen tools in the background.

Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
The side that comes with almost anything fried in Japan — finely shredded raw cabbage, piled high next to tonkatsu or korokke. Cut it one way for soft, fluffy shreds; the other way for crisp and crunchy.
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 3

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings: 3

Instructions

To Prepare the Cabbage

  • Cut ½ head green cabbage in half through the core, then cut out the core from each half with a V-shaped cut.
    Two close-up photos show hands cutting a green cabbage in half on a wooden cutting board, then slicing out the core with a large knife—a perfect start to preparing Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad.

To Cut Cabbage for Soft, Fluffy Shreds

  • Hold a cabbage half over a salad spinner and tuck your thumb into the notch where the core was.
    Run a cabbage slicer across the veins (fibers) on the cut face, shaving in long, even strokes.
    Switch to a knife once the piece gets too small to hold safely.
    Two side-by-side images show hands using a mandoline slicer to shred a cabbage into thin strips over a metal bowl, perfectly preparing the base for a Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad.

To Cut Cabbage for Crisp, Crunchy Shreds

  • Hold a cabbage half over a salad spinner and tuck your thumb into the notch where the core was.
    Run a cabbage slicer along the veins (fibers) on the cut face, shaving in long, even strokes.
    Switch to a knife once the piece gets too small to hold safely.
    Nami's Tip: Cutting along the veins leaves the fibers full length, so shave those shreds thinner or they come out tough.
    Hands using a mandoline slicer to shred a head of cabbage over a colander, with thin cabbage strips falling below—perfectly prepped for a Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad.

To Rinse and Drain

  • Rinse the shredded cabbage under running water. For the crisp, crunchy cut, soak it in ice water for 2–3 minutes first. For the soft, fluffy cut, go straight on to draining.
    Drain the cabbage well in a salad spinner, then fluff the shreds with your fingers to separate them. Add 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber, if using, and toss to combine.
    Nami's Tip: Don't let the cabbage sit in the ice water. Past a few minutes the nutrients and flavor will be lost.
    Hands shredding cabbage over a colander on the left; on the right, ingredients for Japanese Shredded Cabbage Salad—shredded cabbage and sliced cucumbers—rest in a metal mixing bowl on a wooden surface.

To Serve

To Store

  • Line a container with a tightly wrung-out damp paper towel, add the cabbage, and lay a second damp towel on top before sealing. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Freeze

  • Press the shreds flat in a freezer-safe bag and lay it on a metal tray in the freezer. Store for up to 1 month.
    Thawed cabbage turns soft rather than crisp, so add it straight from the freezer to cooked dishes like stir-fries and soups.
    Nami's Tip: Metal pulls the heat out faster, so the shreds freeze quicker and form smaller ice crystals. They'll still soften once thawed, but they hold together better.

Notes

No slicer? Roll and slice by hand – Stack a few cabbage leaves, roll them tightly, and slice as thinly as you can with a sharp knife.
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