Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Once hot, add the chicken and sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate but leave the drippings.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in the drippings. Once melted, increase heat to medium-high and add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté for 4 minutes scraping up the golden bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour then cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes; don’t let flour stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add chicken back to the pot along with chicken broth, bouillon, all seasonings, ½ teaspoon salt, and bay leaves. Cover the soup and bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce and simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to shred.

Remove tender chicken to a cutting board and shred when cool enough to handle. Whisk cornstarch with half and half until smooth, then stir into the pot. Add the noodles and bring to a boil; simmer until noodles are al dente, approximately 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and stir in Parmesan until smooth followed by shredded chicken. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.