Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray or a little bit of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper chicken and cook until well-browned.
Add the rest of your ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.
Lower to medium heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are fork tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
This could easily be made with rotisserie or pre-cooked, shredded chicken. In that case, I would add the meat in the last five minutes of cooking time.Freezer Notes: If you don't mind the texture of frozen potatoes, this soup freezes well in individual servings for a ready-made meal. Just pour into freezer bags and freeze flat on a cookie tray. When soup is frozen, stack. Just be sure to defrost it in the refrigerator. The potatoes will turn to complete mush if you defrost in the microwave.