Shredded cabbage is the unsung hero of the vegetable world. Unlike lettuce, white cabbage stays crisp even when coated in a heavy dressing
However, cutting through a huge head of this cruciferous king can be a mission unless you have a particularly large kitchen knife that you can put your back into
This is why it's easier to succumb to the convenience of pre-shredded bags of cabbage that are table-ready and don't need to be rinsed
Unfortunately these bags are expensive and are often sold in large sized packs. For a speedier, cheaper, and neater option
While the classic method of slicing cabbage thinly with a sharp knife works, it's time-consuming and messy, especially if you're prepping a double batch of sauerkraut.
It's also unlikely that you'll be able to shred the cabbage into even strands that have a uniform thickness, even if you portion it out into quarters first by cutting through the fibrous core.
A mandolin creates shreds that are super-thin and guaranteed to be equally sized (there's a nifty adjustable dial on the side that allows you to change the thickness of the slices too