Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups egg noodles
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz canned chicken, or shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 8 cups chicken broth, low sodium recommended
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme

Serving – optional

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions 

1. Drain and rinse the canned chicken.
2. Place a 6-8 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, arlic, onions, carrots and celery to the stockpot. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add canned chicken, chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme. Raise heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface with a large spoon.
4. Remove Chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken into smaller pieces. 
5. Add egg noodles to the broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until noodles are tender.
6. Remove bay leaves and discard. Stir in the shredded chicken along with the optional parsley and lemon juice.
7. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your preference. Serve and enjoy!