Quick Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

* This recipe found in The Quick Recipe, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 small carrotts, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 small celery ribs, cut on the bias into 1/4 inch slices
Salt
3 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and trimmed of excess fat
4 bay leaves
2 cups extra-broad egg noodles
1 tsp finely minced fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the broth, chicken thighs, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
2. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the chicken from the broth and use two forks to remove the meat from the bones and shred it into thin pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the broth and increase the heat to medium-high to return the soup to a simmer.
3. Add the noddles and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the thyme and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

(You can also use chicken breast, but the recipe doesn't recommend it because it can become tough and doesn't add the flavor to the soup like chicken thighs, plus, chicken thighs are much cheaper! Enjoy!)