Wash and chop your vegetables: roughly slice half a head of cabbage, chop two carrots, and dice a couple of stalks of celery. Finely chop one onion and mince three garlic cloves.

In your slow cooker, add the chopped cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Pour in about 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth.

Incorporate one can of diced tomatoes (drained if desired) and season with salt, pepper, and your choice of Italian seasoning. Stir the mixture gently to combine everything evenly.

If you’re looking for a heartier option, consider including one pound of ground turkey at this stage.

Cover your slow cooker with its lid and set it to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Approximately 30 minutes before serving, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Optionally, use an immersion blender to puree a portion of the soup.

Once cooked to perfection, ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley on top and add grated cheese if desired.