(Chicken Optional) Noodle Soup

• 2-3  tablespoons of unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 large carrots, chopped (if you like larder pieces rough chop them)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme  or 1 Tbsp fresh sage 
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (homemade veggie broth is best) plus more as needed.
• 5 ounces egg noodles like pappardelle  (or pasta of choice)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

With Chicken:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast. If you want to make it super easy, a rotisserie chicken can be used for this.

Without Chicken (choose your own adventure):

• 14 oz Extra Firm Tofu
• Vegan Chicken of Choice
• You can also add 3 or 4 cups of greens such as kale or collards, a can of beans like garbanzos, potatoes or celeriac which is what we did above.

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring every few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme cook for a minute (if you are adding greens, add them here). 
3. Pour in your stock or broth of choice and bring to a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper (if you have any remaining Sant Juan Salt Blend, it goes very well in here). 
4. If using chicken: Submerge the chicken thighs into the soup so that the broth covers them. Bring the soup back to a low simmer then partially cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring a few times until the chicken thighs are cooked through (20 or so minutes).
5. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. While the noodles cook, shred the chicken into strips or dice into cubes.
6. If not using chicken: add beans, potatoes etc. Cook for 5-10
7. Add more broth as needed. Turn the heat to medium-low.
8. Add noodles to the soup and cook until done, 6 to 10 minutes depending on what your packaging says.
9. Once noodles are cooked you can add back the chicken, adjust for seasoning then add the parsley and serve! 

This can be frozen up to 6 months. You can also make everything but the noodles, freeze and then add noodles when you reheat.