Here’s How to Quickly Shred or Cut Your Veggies Using Only Your Peeler

In my opinion, cabbage is the underestimated, too-often-maligned vegetable. Children of the 1980’s were taught only the villain who was out to get the Cabbage Patch Kids (remember Cabbage Jack?) ate cabbage. However, when it’s not being vilified, you’ll find that it’s delicious and an essential part of many amazing recipes. Shredded cabbage, for example, is a foundational ingredient in coleslaw and lots of stir-fries. 

If you have ever struggled to shred cabbage just right for a recipe though, here’s some relief. Budget Bytes, the Instagram account dedicated to “delicious recipes designed for small budgets,” shared that you can use a vegetable peeler to quickly and easily shred cabbage. 

The tongue-in-cheek video asks, “Why was I today years old when I realized you could finely shred cabbage using a vegetable peeler. Am I the only one late to this party?” 

No, she’s not. It was news to me too, and this technique is so easy that even non-chefs like myself find it only takes a minute or two to shred cabbage this way. 

First grab a sharp vegetable peeler. Next, cut the head of cabbage in half, being sure to remove the core. Then, cut each half down the middle before grabbing one of the quarters of the cabbage head. Start your shredding process by using a downward motion to quickly shred the cabbage with the vegetable peeler. Now you’re ready to use the shredded masterpiece in any recipe you’d like. Just be sure to avoid these common mistakes when cooking with cabbage.

Not a huge cabbage consumer? Don’t worry, this veggie peeler method will work for other fruits and veggies, too — even cucumbers.