Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft and translucent.
Step 2: Stir in the minced garlic and 6 chopped sage leaves. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sage is fragrant but not browned.
Step 3: Add the pumpkin puree and the drained cannellini beans to the pot. Stir well to combine with the aromatics for your pumpkin and white bean soup with sage base.
Step 4: Pour in the vegetable broth and add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup directly in the pot to achieve a creamy texture while leaving some beans whole for bite. Alternatively, transfer two cups to a standard blender, blend, and return to the pot.
Step 6: In a small skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil and fry the remaining whole sage leaves for 30 seconds until crisp. Use these as a garnish for each bowl of pumpkin and white bean soup with sage.
Step 7: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fried sage and roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve warm.