Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped medium
• 2 celery ribs, chopped medium
• 1 onion, chopped medium
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (12 ounce) bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast, trimmed
• 1 1/2 ounces wide egg noodles (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the chicken thighs well on both sides, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, let cool slightly, and discard the skin.
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat left in the pan. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, 7-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, and transfer to the slow cooker.
3. Stir the remaining 7 cups broth and the bay leaves into the slow cooker. Nestle the browned chicken thighs with any accumulated juice into the slow cooker. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, wrap in a foil packet, and lay on top of the soup. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on low.
4. Remove the foil packet, open carefully (watch for steam), and transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board. Transfer the chicken thighs to the cutting board too. Let all the chicken cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Let the soup settle for 5 minutes, then remove the fat from the surface using a large spoon. Discard the bay leaves.
5. Cook the egg noodles in boiling salted water until tender, then drain. Stir the cooked noodles, shredded chicken, and peas into the soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.