I bought a can of Progresso Southwest Chicken soup a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the flavor, but as far as content goes, it was weak. There was much more broth than meat and vegetables, and what little meat there was, was tough and flavorless. I figured I'd give it a try myself and the results were phenomenal.
I started by cooking five skinless chicken thighs in a small amount of canola oil in my dutch oven. I used thighs because they have more flavor and the meat is more dense. I partially cooked them, just enough so they would hold up in the soup. The goal here was not to get moist chicken that falls apart, like you want in Chicken and Biscuits. Then I added enough water to cover the meat and some chicken boullion. After the meat was cooked through I removed the bone and cut up the meat. Then I added more water, some chili powder(~1Tsp), a generous amount of Cajun seasoning blend (~3Tsp), ground cumin(~1Tsp) and brown rice(~1/4 C). I let that boil for about 10 minutes, then I added a can of diced tomatoes and a dash of chipotle sauce. Once it started boiling again I added a can of drained and washed black beans, and some frozen corn. A little salt and pepper to taste and I let the whole concoction simmer for 20 minutes.
I was really pleased with the results. Normally when I make a big batch of soup I freeze some for later, but we fininshed the entire batch in 2 days. I wouldn't advice eating this soup with crackers. Tortilla chips are much more appropriate.
