Tortilla Soup

• • 1 pound (2 large) boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise to form two thin cutlets
• • 1½ Tbs. olive oil, separated
• • ½ tsp. salt
• • 1 Tb. chili powder
• • 1 large onion, cut into medium dice
• • 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
• • 2 Tbs. canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• • 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• • 1 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes (fire-roasted, if you can find)
• • 2 cans black beans (15 or 16 ounces), not drained
• • tortilla chips
  
• • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat. Toss chicken with salt, chili powder and 1½ teaspoons of the oil 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) into bite-size pieces.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the hot empty pot; add onions and sauté 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. Simmer partially covered and skim foam as it surfaces, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and turn off heat.

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.