Chicken Noodle Soup

Found this recipe last year on Better Homes & Gardens. Hearty, comforting and delicious.

3 lbs. chicken (use anything you've got, dark pieces will yield more flavorful soup)
1 medium chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp. dried thyme, sage or basil, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled & halved
8 cups of water
2 medium chopped carrots (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery (about 1 cup)
6 oz. dried egg noodles
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, sage or basil

In a 6-8 quart pot combine first 7 ingredients. Pour the water over the top and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours or until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken from broth, discard any skin and bones. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces and set aside. Discard bay leaves from broth and skim any fat from the top. Bring the broth back to a boil and stir in celery and carrots. Simmer uncovered for 7 minutes. Add in the egg noodles and stir to combine. Stir in the chicken and fresh herbs and heat through.

If you  like your broth a bit thicker, combine 1 cup of milk or water with 2 tbsp. of flour, then simmer for a few minutes in the broth.

Enjoy!