1½ pounds bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
2 zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken lightly, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
2. Add onions and carrots to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
3. Return browned chicken and any accumulated juices to pot, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones. Meanwhile, stir zucchini and chickpeas into soup and simmer until zucchini is just tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Stir shredded chicken into soup and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro and oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve