Squeeze the sausage out of the casings and cook over medium heat, along with the olive oil, in a large pot. Break up the sausage into pieces and cook until no pink remains.
While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, and slice the celery. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft.
While the vegetables are softening, take the opportunity to slice the rest of the carrots and celery and package them to freeze (they’ll be ready for your next soup!). Pull the kale leaves from the stems and tear into small pieces. Place the torn kale leaves in a colander and rinse well. Once the onions in the pot have softened (the other veggies may not be soft, that’s okay), add the kale. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted.
Drain the can of beans and add them to the pot. Also add the chicken base, water, oregano, cumin, red pepper, and black pepper. Stir to combine and heat through (about 10-15 minutes). Taste the soup and adjust the salt and other seasonings if necessary (I added about 1/2 tsp of salt). Serve hot with crusty bread!