New and Improved Chicken Noodle Soup

In a large stock pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium to med-high heat.Season chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.Cook chopped chicken until no longer pink (maybe 4-5 minutes). Remove and set aside.Add 3 tablespoons oil. Throw onion, carrot, parsnip, celery, and garlic in and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until just tender, about 4-5 minutes.Remove and set aside. (Cooking Note: You can skip this step and just add these veggies raw to the broth in Step 4, but this method infuses more flavor.)Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and a splash or two of chicken broth for about 2 minutes (until it forms a golden brown paste).Whisk in the rest of chicken broth a little at a time, making sure lumps don't form. (Cooking Note: The point of this step is to cook the flour a bit and create a thickening paste to the broth. If you are using the Homemade Whole Wheat Egg Noodles from our Recipe Index, you can skip this step.)Add vegetables, bay leaves, basil, oregano, salt and pepper (go shy on this since you can add more at the end) and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.Add egg noodles and chicken. Bring back to a boil and turn down heat to a simmer.Cook noodles a little less than the package recommends, so you don't overcook them. Or if you're using fresh homemade egg noodles, simmer for about 20-25 minutes until noodles are fat and tender.Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with chopped parsley to garnish. Serve warm.