Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large soup or dutch oven over medium heat. Add whole chicken breasts and cook until both sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes more.

Step 2

Add chicken broth and a pinch of salt of pepper and bring to a low boil, cooking until chicken is cooked throughout, about 10 minutes.  When chicken is cooked completely, remove and place on a cutting board. Once cooled, use a fork to shred and then add back to pot.

Step 3

To make cheddar sage dumplings: In a large glass mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and thinly chopped chives. Then slowly add the buttermilk and shredded cheddar, mixing with a wooden spoon. The mixture should be loose, sticky, and wet--don't over mix or dumplings will be tough!

Step 4

Add dumplings to soup: bring soup back to a low boil and drop a large spoonful of dumpling dough into the pot until all dough has been added. Cook covered until dumplings are cooked throughout, about 8 minutes.

Step 5

To serve: spoon soup and 1-2 dumplings into a soup bowl. Top with a bit of cheddar and sprinkled chives and enjoy!