This vegetarian slow cooker chili delicious, hearty and super easy to make! Super satisfying and perfect for busy weeknights.
I don't know about you, but my slow cooker is probably the most underappreciated appliance in my kitchen. Every time I use it I kick myself for not using it more often.
Slow cooker dinners are as easy as it gets, and it's so nice and comforting to have dinner simmering away all day long.
Well, no more excuses! Now that I've created this vegetarian slow cooker chili recipe, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting plenty of use out of my Crockpot. It's a delicious variation of my classic vegan chili recipe, with a few minor modifications and, of course, full guidance on how to cook it up in the slow cooker.
It's super delicious, makes for great leftovers, and is one of those healthy comforting meals that I'm sure I'll be making on repeat all throughout the year. It's also vegan and gluten-free, so it can be enjoyed by all!
Jump to:
Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. This is optional! It's up to you whether you'd like to cook the onions, peppers, carrots and garlic on the stove first (in which case you'll need the oil), or just throw everything in the slow cooker at once. You can also substitute with your favorite high-heat oil, such as avocado oil, corn oil, or canola oil.
- Onion.
- Bell peppers. The recipe calls for one red and one green pepper, but you can use any color or colors you'd like.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Beans. We're using three cans of beans. I've specified pinto beans, black beans, and kidney beans in the recipe, but just about any canned beans you've got on hand will work, in any combination. Chickpeas, lentils, and cannellini beans are all great options!
- Fire roasted tomatoes. I absolutely love using fire roasted tomatoes for my chili, but regular old canned diced tomatoes will work just fine if that's what you have no hand.
- Spices. We're using mild chili powder, ground cumin, ancho chile powder, and oregano.
- Salt and pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Optional first step: With this recipe you have the option of cooking the veggies and aromatics in some oil first. This will mellow the flavors of the garlic and onions, while enhancing the flavors of the peppers and carrots.
- If you choose to do this, simply sweat diced onions, peppers and carrots in an oiled skillet for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook it with the veggies for a minute.
- Next, dump everything except for the salt into the slow cooker. Stir it up, cover and turn on the slow cooker.
- Let your chili cook until the sauce is thick and the veggies are tender. This should take about 3 hours on high, or 5 hours on low, although times may vary a bit depending on what slow cooker you're using. I'm using a basic Rival Crockpot, for reference.
- Season the chili with some salt and pepper to taste when it's done cooking.
- Ladle it into bowls and enjoy!
Serving Ideas
- Toppings. Always pile on the toppings! Sliced avocado, vegan sour cream, cashew cream, fresh cilantro, shredded vegan cheese or cashew queso are all excellent on vegetarian chili.
- Pairings. I like to serve my slow cooker chili with a chunk of crusty bread, vegan cornbread, or vegan corn muffins.
- Variations. Instead of eating your chili in a bowl, pile it on fries, stuff it in a baked potato or sweet potato, or make vegan chili dogs using store-bought links or carrot dogs.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegetarian slow cooker chili will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Slow Cooker Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Slow Cooker Chili
Equipment
- 1 Slow cooker (5 quart or larger)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional - Note 1)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 ounce or 800 gram) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Optional step: Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the onion, peppers, and carrots. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, stirring constantly. (Note 2)
- Place all ingredients into a large (5 quart or larger) slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, or on low for about 5 hours, until the sauce is thick and the vegetables are tender.
- Turn of the heat and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- The oil is only needed if you choose to do optional step 1.
- This step is by no means necessary, and I often skip it. It will mellow the flavor of the onions and garlic, and enhance the flavors of the peppers and carrots.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe! I'd like to add vegetarian crumbles, as well. Can you please suggest a good time in the cooking process to add it? Thanks!
Most crumbles are fully cooked and just need to be heated up, so you can add them pretty late in the process. If they're frozen, I'd add them 20 minutes before the chili is done, and 10 minutes if they're thawed. Enjoy!!
I loved this recipe, I made it with dried beans because I don't use can beans. It only added one hour to my cooking time. I also sauteed the vegetables. Served with fried okra keto hoe cakes. Turned out wonderful, thank you.
Where's the liquid in this recipe? No water?
The tomatoes will be packed in juice, and the veggies will release liquid as they cook. No additional liquid is needed. :)
I made this for dinner last night. It turned out great! Lots of flavor. I vacuum packed the leftovers this morning for another meal - maybe nachos!
Solid recipe overall! We added 3/4 cup of corn, and I'm not sure if it's just a difference in taste/ heat levels, but we halved the chili powder and it still has a hefty kick. But, we're planning on adding a dollop of sour cream and a little cheese for service to even things out. Thank you!