Chicken And Leek Noodle Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, halved and thinly sliced then rinsed well in a colander
5 stalks celery & tops, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (48 ounce) container chicken broth
2 lbs cooked chicken, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
8 ounces baby spinach leaves
angel hair pasta, broken into small pieces

Preparation

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, carrots, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to taste and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Add in chicken and beans and remove the bay leaf.
3. Stir in the parsley, spinach and broken pasta pieces. Cook till pasta is done.
**Optional: serve with shaved parmesan cheese and/or some lemon zest and a squirt of fresh lemon juice in each bowl.