Begin by browning the sausage. To do so, add avocado oil to a cast iron (or stainless steel or non-stick) skillet and heat to medium. Place the sausage on the hot skillet and brown 2 minutes.

Flip and brown another 2 minutes, until sausage has a nice golden-brown sear on it. Break up the meat using a spatula and cook another 30 seconds or so. There’s no need to cook the sausage all the way through.

Plug in your slow cooker and add the browned sausage, along with the rest of the ingredients for the soup. Stir well. Secure the lid on the crock pot and set on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 to 8).