Combine

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the water, carrots, celery, onion and bay leaf.

Season

Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, dried thyme and black pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone, about 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Seasoning

Add

15 minutes before the time is up on your slow cooker, remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Add the egg noodles to the slow cooker and cook on high, covered, for the last 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat.

TIP

Only add the noodles if you plan on eating the soup immediately. If not, add the noodles when you decide to eat the soup. If the noodles are left in the soup they will absorb the juices. -Nancy, Perdue Community Member

Serve

When the noodles are cooked, remove the bay leaf, and return the chicken to soup to heat through. Add the chicken bouillon, if desired. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.

TIP

Fully cooked noodles tend to turn into mush when frozen and then reheated. If you’re planning on freezing this soup for later use, try either for the following: 1. Cook your soup in the slow cooker as directed. When soup is done, add the noodles, cook for another 4 minutes and then turn off the cooker. Freeze your soup in individual containers while the noodles are still under cooked. When you’re ready to use, take the frozen soup out of the freezer, place in a small pot and slowly bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until soup is hot and noodles are cooked through. You may need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water as the soup heats, so the noodles don’t soak up all of the broth. 2. Cook your soup in the slow cooker as directed without adding the noodles. Freeze your soup in individual containers. When you’re ready to use, take the frozen soup out of the freezer and place in a small pot. Slowly bring to a boil and then add your noodles. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until soup is hot and noodles are cooked through. You may need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water as the soup heats, so the noodles don’t soak up all of the broth. Also try using thinner noodles or small soup pastas like Ditalini, Stars, or Stelline so the cooking time is shorter than using wide noodles.