Prepare your vegetables by washing and peeling the carrots, potatoes, and onion. Dice them into bite-sized pieces along with the celery.

In the slow cooker, combine the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes. Add the chicken thighs or breasts on top.

Sprinkle in the minced garlic, tomato paste, dried thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

Pour the chicken broth over the mixture, ensuring that all the ingredients are submerged. Stir gently to mix everything together.

Cover the slow cooker and set it to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking time is complete, stir in the frozen peas and corn.

If desired, mix cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry, then stir it into the stew in the last 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and give the stew a final stir. Serve hot with crusty bread or over rice.