Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick some holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork. Line a baking sheet with foil and set the sweet potatoes on top. Bake for 1 hour or until soft.
While sweet potatoes are baking, make the harissa coconut lentils. Place a large saucepan or medium braiser over medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and caraway and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and harissa and cook it out for 1 minute. Then, add the lentils and stir again.
Pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the lentils to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer until lentils are just starting to get soft and the liquid has reduced by about a third, roughly 25 minutes.
Add the kale to the harissa coconut lentils and continue to stir/simmer until it’s wilted. Taste the lentil and kale mixture for seasoning and adjust if necessary (more salt, pepper, harissa for extra spice etc). Keep warm.
Pull the sweet potatoes from the oven. To serve, take one sweet potato per person and split it open in a shallot bowl/deep plate. Ladle ¼ of the harissa coconut lentils into/on top of the sweet potato. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh lemon/lime if you like. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If sweet potatoes aren't your thing, you could serve the harissa coconut lentils with rice, couscous, or even some simple slices of crusty bread.
Harissa coconut lentils with finely chopped kale and roasted sweet potatoes is a hearty and extra flavorful vegan dinner. Ready in 1 hour with simple cooking methods.