Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Broth

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced celery
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds uncooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 2″ pieces (note that breast meat tends to get dryer than thigh meat when cooked in the slow cooker. You may prefer thigh meat as more tender but note this will add a slightly higher fat/calorie content to your dinner than we have put)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
• 3 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, fat free preferred
• 1 bay leaf

Add when done

• 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, broken into small pieces or you might like to save carbs and try zero noodles or rice noodles, but note the carbs macros and calories will change to less.
• 1/4 cup fresh, chopped, Italian parsley, to serve
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste