Cook egg noodles until barely tender, drain, and set aside. You can put a little butter on them to keep them from sticking together.
Heat the a little oil in a large, heavy stock pot over medium heat.
Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery.
Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the chicken and the chicken stock.
Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.
Return to soup the chicken back to the stock pot.
Add in the egg noodles.
Simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter if desired. I feel like this amps up the flavor but it's totally optional.
Garnish with chopped parsley.
Crockpot
Put everything except the noodles in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.
Put the shredded chicken back into the crock pot.
Add the egg noodles and cover.
Cook for 15 minutes more, or until egg noodles are tender.
Notes
Storage:Allow leftover Panera chicken noodle soup to cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to four days.Homemade chicken noodle soup freezes really well, too! Transfer cooled leftovers into an airtight container and freeze for up to six months.Tips:
Feel free to cut the raw chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks before adding them to the broth so it cooks faster. You won't need to shred it.
Sautéing the veggies caramelizes them and creates those flavorful brown bits at the bottom of your pot—don’t skip this step! Make sure you scrape up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon after you deglaze the pot with the chicken stock.
Your chicken is done cooking when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.
This is an easy recipe to make dairy-free and gluten-free—just use olive oil or vegetable oil instead of butter and gluten-free noodles!