Creamy Chicken Asparagus Soup

Place chicken, water, bouillon, celery, onion and bay leaf in a Dutch oven or soup kettle. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth and let it cool. Strain broth to remove vegetables and bay leaf. Remove 1 cup broth and set aside; return remaining broth to Dutch oven or kettle.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the bacon strips and sauteed vegetables. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.(I used the microwave). Remove bacon; save ALL the drippings for sautéing. Saute carrots, onion and asparagus in drippings over medium heat until crisp-tender.

Add sauted vegetables to the kettle along with the chicken broth, potatoes, salt, thyme and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Combine flour and reserved 1 cup broth; stir into soup. (I ran this through a strainer first to reduce lumps). Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Debone chicken and cut into thin strips; add to soup along with cream and parsley. Heat through (do not boil). Sprinkle with bacon just before serving.