Winter Vegetable Chicken Stew

    WINTER VEGETABLE CHICKEN STEW
                Serves 6

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
½ t coarse salt, plus more for cooking water
¼ t freshly ground pepper
4 slender carrots, peeled
3 lrg celery ribs
2 med. parsnips (6 ounces) peeled
4 sm onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 fourteen and a half ounce can low sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 T fresh rosemary leaves or 1 t dried
½ lb wide egg noodles
¼ C finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 T unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch (1 ½ lbs.) Swiss Chard, coarsely chopped w/ stems


1.    Cut chicken into 1 in. pieces; season with salt and pepper.  Heat a 6 qrt. Dutch oven over med. heat until hot.  Add half of chicken to pot; cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned, about 7 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Repeat.
2.    Meanwhile, cut carrots, celery and parsnips into ¾ in. pieces.  Place vegetables, onions, browned chicken, water, broth and rosemary in Dutch oven; scrape browned bits form the bottom.  Cover; stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.
3.    Cook noodles in a saucepan until al dente; drain.  Sit noodles, parsley, chicken and any collected juices in the bowl into pot.  Cook on low until chicken is heated through, 1 to 23 minutes.  Remove from heat; keep warm
4.    Meanwhile, melt butter in a lrg non-stick skillet over med.-high heat.  Add garlic; stir until golden about 1 minute.  Add chard; cook, turning occasionally, until tender about 5 minutes.  Divide chard among 6 bowls.  Ladle soup on top.