How to Chop Chinese Cabbage

Napa Cabbage

Pick a napa cabbage that has a firm stem and crisp leaves. Avoid cabbages that have black dots or other blemishes on the leaves if you can. Go ahead and pick up the cabbage, too—it should feel relatively heavy compared to how big it is. That’s a sign of water retention and makes for a super crispy cabbage! Refrigerate the cabbage in a plastic bag for up to a week. Only rinse the cabbage once you’re ready to use it.

Remove any outer leaves that have black spots on them. Once you’re ready to chop up that cabbage, take a look at the thick, outer leaves. If you notice any black spots, go ahead and tear those leaves off and toss them out. The black bits could be signs of mold. The black spots may be just blemishes, but it’s not worth risking it only for a few extra leaves of cabbage.

Rinse the cabbage under running water to remove dirt and grit. Gently massage the leaves by hand to make sure you dislodge all the dirt, or use a cleaning brush (just make sure it’s a brush for veggies and not for cleaning dirty dishes!). Some cabbages come “pre-washed,” but it’s always a good idea to give your veggies another rinse once you get them home.

Divide the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Use a clean cutting board and a kitchen knife. Halve the cabbage lengthwise from tip to base, then divide each half lengthwise. Make a “v” cut into the base of each quarter to remove the hard, woody core. If you’re making something like a lettuce cup or wrap, just halve the cabbage but don’t quarter it. You’ll still want to make the “v” cut to remove the stem. Set the cabbages cut-side down after you halve them to make them stable. Napa cabbages are oblong, so remember to cut down the length rather than making a short cut across the middle.

Cut the quartered cabbage into 1 in (2.5 cm) wide strips for kimchi. Kimchi should be easy to pick up with a pair of chopsticks, so you don’t want to mince or shred it. Depending on your personal preference, you could make the pieces a little bigger or a little smaller—everyone has their favorite recipe for kimchi! Kimchi is a process of brining, seasoning, and fermenting various vegetables. Cabbage is a super popular kimchi ingredient, but you can make it out of other veggies, too!

Dice the cabbage into bite-sized pieces for stir-frys. Cut the quartered cabbage into wide strips. Turn your knife and cut across the strips to break them down into pieces that are small enough to eat in one bite. The smaller the pieces of cabbage, the less time it will take for them to cook through. If you include other veggies in your stir-fry, try to make them all the same size so they cook through at the same rate.

Shred the cabbage into fine strips for salads, slaws, and spring rolls. Place the quartered cabbage cut-side down on the cutting board. Take your kitchen knife and make very fine slices across the veins. If you want longer strips, cut strips going from the top of the cabbage down to the base instead. Take your time shredding the cabbage! If this is new for you, it can take a little while to get a feel for it, and the last thing you want is to cut your fingers accidentally.

Mince the cabbage into small pieces for dumplings. Place the quartered cabbage cut-side down on the cutting board. Make very thin slices across the veins down the length of the cabbage. Then, cut crosswise over the strips of cabbage to mince them. “Minced” cabbage is as small as you can get it. Think slightly larger than a grain of rice. You could even use a food processor to finely mince your cabbage. Just choose a large grating disk, so it doesn’t lose its consistency or get too wet.

Bok Choy

Pick bok choy that has dark green leaves and firm stems. Bok choy comes in 2 common varieties: baby and regular. Both have a white base and dark green leaves, and the entire veggie is edible. Bok choy tends to have a super mild flavor, while regular bok choy tastes a little more vegetal. You can usually find bok choy at your local grocery store. If not, check out an Asian grocery. Store the bok choy in your fridge for up to 1 week in a plastic bag. Wait to rinse the bok choy until right before you’re ready to use it.

Slice the bok choy in half lengthwise on a clean cutting board. The shape of the bok choy can be a little irregular, so find the veggie's base and use that as a guiding point for your cut. Divide the base and leaves of the cabbage in half. Keep your fingers out of the way of the knife!

Trim the base off the ends of the bok choy. Place the bok choy cut-side down on the cutting board. Use your knife to remove the hard, white base. It’s okay if there’s a little white left—it’s edible—it just usually takes much longer to cook through than the leaves. If you want, toss the base into the compost or use it along with other veggie scraps to make a batch of stock later.

Rinse the bok choy in a bowl of water to remove dirt and grit. Swish the leaves around to dislodge any dirt. If the leaves are especially dirty, you may need to change out the water a few times until all the grit is gone. Pay special attention to the base of the leaves. Because these cabbages grow low to the ground, there’s often a lot of dirt there. You use a bowl to rinse bok choy because the leaves are all different sizes and fall away from each other easily. The bowl keeps anything from falling into the sink.

Chop the bok choy horizontally across the veins. Depending on whether the leaves came apart while rinsing, you may need to stack the leaves back on top of each other. Take your knife and make even cuts across the length of the bok choy until the whole cabbage is in strips. Use bok choy in soups and stir-frys for added flavor and texture. Enjoy bok choy raw in a salad. Try steaming the bok choy for 5 minutes to soften it for a nutrient-filled side dish.