Recipe: Quick, light (and tasty!) tortilla soup

In the past when I’ve needed a quick soup, I’ve often turned to ramen noodles (subbing chicken broth for the flavoring packet and water). I have a new favorite now, and it’s just about as simple. Tortilla soup makes a fun and healthy (if you don’t overdo the toppings) one-dish weeknight supper. I’ve made a large pot for good reason: Those leftovers make a wonderful instant lunch the next day.

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 crosswise to form two thin cutlets
• 1˝ Tbs. olive oil, separated
• ˝ 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
• 6 ounces tortilla strips
• 1 lime, cut into 8ths

Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat. Toss chicken with salt, chili powder and 1˝ 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.

Serves:
6 to 8

Per serving for 6:
352 calories, 42g carbohydrates, 29g protein, 7g fat (1g saturated), 48mg cholesterol, 9g dietary fiber, 1,131mg sodium