Soak the lentils in either cold water overnight or in hot water for an hour (this greatly reduces cooking time and makes the lentils more digestible). Rinse well.
Dice the carrot, ginger and chilli and add to the lentils together with the water and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots and lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion and quarter the tomatoes. Place in a roasting dish with the garlic, olive oil, rosemary and thyme and roast at 200C for about 30 minutes – the onions should be showing a little charring around the edges.
Rub the contents through a sieve to remove the skins and any twiggy bits, then add to the cooked lentils.
Add the tamari, salt and pepper to taste, then blitz with a hand held blender until smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice and add a grating of chocolate if liked. Pour into bowls topping off with another light grating of chocolate if liked.
Notes
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.