If your ingredients are flavorful, you don't need a lot of fat. A single Italian sausage link will do. Once your beans are cooked, this soup takes no time at all.

Ingredients

• Italian sausage link (about 1/4 pound)

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 stalk celery, sliced

• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

• 3 cups cooked white beans

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added

• 2 cups shredded fresh escarole or spinach

Directions

Remove the sausage casing. Heat olive oil in the soup pot and add sausage, stirring to break up the meat into small crumbles. Brown the meat and remove some of the sausage fat by blotting with a paper towel. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Saute briefly. Add beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, and tomatoes. Heat thoroughly. Just before serving, add the escarole or spinach. It doesn't have to cook--just wilt and stay a vibrant green.

Serves 6

Each serving contains about 214 calories, 16 g protein, 5 g fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 32 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, and 203 mg sodium.