By Sharon Anderson, Three Many Cooks
Serves 6 to 8
Top soup with any or all of the following: grated pepper Jack cheese, diced avocados, light sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, hot red pepper sauce.
1 pound (2 large) boneless chicken breasts, halved cross-wise to form two thin cutlets
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 large onion, cut into medium dice
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted if you can find them)
2 cans black beans, not drained
6 ounces tortilla strips
1 lime, cut into eighths
1. Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat. Toss chicken with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil, salt, and chili powder to coat. Add chicken to hot pot; cook, turning only once, until impressively brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cut (or shred when cool enough to handle) into bite-size pieces.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the hot empty pot; add onions and saute until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and peppers; continue to sauté until fragrant, about a minute longer. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer partially covered and skimming foam as it surfaces, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.Stir in chicken and turn off heat.
3. Place a portion of tortilla strips in each bowl, ladle over hot soup, and top as desired, letting each person squirt in a little lime.
Tips:
- To speed the cooking process, heat the broth in the microwave while the onions and garlic are cooking.
- The chipotle peppers add flavor, heat, and smoke. They’re usually located in the Mexican section or Hispanic aisle of the grocery store.
