Soup's on

How sweet is B that he found a recipe in one of my cooking magazines that he wanted to make, and he actually made it for dinner! Of course, the recipe was for chicken soup, one of his favorite foods. And it turned out really good. He halved the recipe and still has a tiny bit left for his dinner tomorrow.

The recipe, "Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup," is from Taste of Home magazine.

2-1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
1-1/4 teaspoons pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
10 cups chicken broth
4 celery ribs, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 medium carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups uncooked kluski or other egg noodles (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches, skin side down; cook 3-4 minutes or until dark golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; remove and discard skin. Discard drippings, reserving 2 tablespoons.
Add onion to drippings; cook and stir over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Transfer chicken to a plate. Remove soup from heat. Add noodles; let stand, covered, 20-22 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Meanwhile, when chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; discard bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces. Return meat to stockpot. Stir in parsley and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove bay leaves. Yield: 10 servings (3-1/2 quarts).