• In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
• Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
• Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot to make a well in the center. Add the chicken pieces to the center and let them cook, stirring occasionally, just to brown the outsides. This will take 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
• Pour in the chicken broth and stir everything together. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the egg noodles:

• If using store-bought noodles, stir them in and cook for 8 minutes.
• If using homemade noodles, stir them in and cook for 3 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed before serving.