Sweet Potato Lentil Bowls with Fennel Kale Slaw + Lemon Tahini Sauce
Crunchy bright fennel and kale tossed in lemon juice with lentils + topped with caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, slathered in a creamy tangy tahini dressing, fresh herbs, and crunchy almonds. Don’t forget the final lemon squeeze and salt sprinkle!
Ingredient highlight
Sweet potatoes (yams)! are my complex carb of choice and one of my favorite veggies to always have on hand. I’ll often eat them as a snack or lunch with a fried egg and avocado. They’re loaded with fiber and potassium and high in vitamin B1, B6, A and C.
Servings 4 PeopleIngredients
- 3 sweet potatoes (yams), cut into ½” cubes 4 heaping cups, about 2 lbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups cooked French green lentils about 3/4 cup dry
- 3 cups loosely packed chopped kale
- 2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, thinly sliced about 1 ½ cups
- 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ lemon
- ½ cup chopped toasted almonds
- Fresh dill, for topping
- Lemon wedges, for topping
For the tahini dressing:
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection (use convection if you have it). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the sweet potatoes, olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned/charred.
- In a large bowl, add the lentils, kale, fennel, lemon juice and remaining ½ tsp salt and toss to coat.
- To make the tahini dressing, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. You can also make this in a blender. If too thick, add more water or lemon. If too thin, add more tahini. This will depend on how thin or thick your tahini is.
- Place the lentil fennel mixture on your plate and top with the roasted sweet potatoes, tahini dressing, toasted nuts, dill, and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook the lentils
- Make the tahini dressing
- Roast the sweet potatoes
- Toast the nuts
- Prep the kale and fennel
Substitutions
- Use any roasted starchy vegetable in place of the sweet potato.
- Use 1/2 cup soaked cashews in place of the tahini. Soak them overnight or in boiling water for 10 minutes. Use a blender to make the sauce.
- Use parsley or cilantro in place of dill.
- French green lentils (Le Puy) are my favorite, but you could use beluga or black lentils, or even green lentils.
Storage
- Store everything separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing
- Be sure to warm up the sweet potatoes before topping the slaw.
- Tahini dressing will thicken in the fridge. Stir in a splash of water or more lemon juice to thin it out. It may need more salt since you watered it down.
- Turn it into a rice bowl.
