Season both sides of chicken breast with kosher salt and black pepper. In a dutch oven or soup pot over medium/high heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil. Sear both sides of chicken until a browned crust forms (about 4 minutes each side). Once seared, remove from pot and set aside.

Lower heat to medium and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add in the shallot, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add in the pressed garlic, thyme, sage, and sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant (about a minute). Add in better than bouillon base and mix until vegetables are coated. Add in the chicken broth and two bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil. Return chicken to pot and cover. Allow the chicken to fully cook through, about 15 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the dumplings. In a large bowl add: flour, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, chopped thyme, and chopped sage. Add in grated parmesan and mix to combine ingredients. Slowly add in the buttermilk while stirring. Use a silicone spatula to gently get dough together. The consistency should be similar to a thicker/drier mashed potato. Set aside.

Use tongs to remove the chicken breast from the soup. The internal temperature should be 165F. Using two forks, shred the chicken and set aside.

The soup should be at a boil. Using a heaping tablespoon for each dumpling, spoon and drop the dumplings into the soup. (Only do half of the dumpling dough, you don't want to put too many or they will stick together). Cover with lid and allow them to cook for about 8-9 minutes. Remove from the soup and repeat with remaining dumplings. Set aside the cooked dumplings on a plate.

Add the shredded chicken and dumplings back to the soup. Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together. Once the soup has simmer, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary with kosher salt and black pepper. Ladle soup and dumplings into a bowl. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley.