In a medium soup pot on low flame add the olive oil and the onion. Saute with a pinch of sea salt until they start to get some color around the edges, making sure not to burn them.
Add the minced garlic and give it a good stir. Cook 30 seconds then add the chanterelle mushrooms and toss to coat. Saute together for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to wilt. Reserve about 1 cup of the mixture for garnish. ( Alternately you could reserve about 1/4 lb of the fresh chanterelles and pan sear them with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt just before serving.)
Add the water to the soup pot together with the thyme, 1 sprig of sage and the sea salt and bring to a simmer. Cook together at a gentle boil for 10 minutes.
Using a hand held immersion blender carefully puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and remove from flame. Adjust seasonings to your taste with more sea salt.
Meanwhile in a separate skillet melt the butter ( or olive oil to keep it vegan) and add the remaining sage leaves. Cook together until the sage is crispy and butter is golden brown.
Serve the soup with the reserved chanterelles on top, sprinkled with the crispy sage and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.