CP Sausage Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes

14 oz. sliced and halved (or diced) smoked sausage (I prefer Butterball Hardwood Smoked Turkey, 13 oz.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
two diced carrots (about 1 cup)
two stalked celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
olive oil
3 kale leaves, chopped*
two small sweet potatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)*
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, chopped into 1" pieces* (*I actually found frozen bags of these and dumped them in frozen)
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
pepper to taste

Begin by slicing and browning the smoked sausage in a little olive oil.  Chop the onion and add to the pan with the sausage.  Cut the carrots (my chunks were a little too thick so go thinner) and add.  Finally, chop and add the celery and cook until sausage is browned and onions are cooked.

Meanwhile, add the vegetable broth and two cans of tomatoes (without draining), the rest of the veggies, and the seasonings to your crockpot.  Add in the sausage mix.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  (I used a preset that cooks on high for 1 hour and then low for 8, but didn't need to cook it the full 9 hours.)