Step 1 in a cast iron Dutch oven pr large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots, celery, fresh thyme and bay leaf and and saute until the veggies are softened, but not browned.
step 2 Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
step 3 Once the soup is boiling, add noodles and chickpeas and cook for 8 minutes, until noodles are almost completely cooked. Add salt and pepper taste.
step 4 Remove from heat and serve with freshly chopped parsley and salty crackers.
Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen indefinitely and reheated as needed.