Prepare the Vegetables

First, wash and dry all the produce. Dice the onion, peeled carrot, and celery into ¼ inch pieces. 

Cook the Vegetables

To a large dutch oven on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add your veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the Chicken Broth

Pour the chicken broth into your pan and add the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, tasting to adjust as needed.

Cook the Chicken

Add the chicken into the broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer and cover the pan. Continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through, at least 35 minutes and up to an hour. I prefer to cook it for the full hour, but you can cook it to best fit your dinner schedule.

Chop the Chicken

You can chop or shred your chicken once it’s cooked through. Use tongs to remove it from the broth and place it on a cutting board. 

 Using either a sharp chef’s knife or two forks, chop or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. I like to chop mine only because I feel like it goes more quickly, and my kids prefer chunks to shreds, but either will work well in this recipe.

Cook The Noodles

While chopping the chicken, it’s a great time to add your noodles to start cooking. Pour in the noodles to the simmering soup and cook for 6-8 minutes, just until tender.

Add the Chicken and Finishing Touches

Put the chicken back into the soup, add the juice from one lemon and the chopped parsley and stir to combine. Top with an extra squeeze of lemon and a couple more parsley leaves if you’d like.