Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound skinless chicken breast
1 pound skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 bay leaf, optional
3 cups wide egg noodles

Preheat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken breasts and thighs for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides and cooled through. Remove chicken from the skillet to a cutting board to cool a bit.

Reduce heat to medium/low, add butter to skillet then toss in onion, carrot and celery. Slowly cook the veggies (sweat them) for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until carrots are beginning to soften.

Chop the chicken, then dump all of it, plus the veggies, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon parsley and bay leaf into a large soup pot. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until noodles are soft. Serve with a pinch of minced fresh parsley sprinkled on top.