1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 quarts good quality or homemade chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces
1˝ cups wide egg noodles salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and lightly sauté the onion, carrot and celery until tender – about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for another minute. Add the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken and noodles to the pot and cook until noodles are al dente – 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaf from the soup, season with salt and pepper, add parsley and serve immediately.