Start A Pot Of Water For The Pasta. Fill a small pot with water and start bringing it to a boil to cook the pasta while you start the soup.
Cook The Veggies. Add butter or olive oil and the onion, celery, and carrots to a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Cook 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until the veggies are mostly softened.
Add Garlic & Seasonings. Then, add the garlic cloves, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more, till fragrant.
Add Chicken & Broth. Next, add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Stir to combine, then tuck the bay leaf into the soup.
Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the soup 15-30 minutes while you cook the pasta. (The flavor will develop more the longer you simmer, but 15 minutes will be enough to cook the veggies.)
Cook The Pasta. To avoid over-cooking the noodles, cook the pasta in the pot of boiling water, according to package directions. I usually under-cook the noodles by 1-2 minutes, since they will continue to soften in the hot soup.
Finish The Soup. Drain the pasta noodles and add to the soup pot, along with some fresh herbs. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and season the soup with salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, or more herbs, as desired.
Serve & Store. Ladle into bowls and enjoy warm. Leftover gluten-free chicken noodle soup will keep 3-4 days in the fridge.