Hearty Slow Cooker Veggie Chili
This Hearty Slow Cooker Veggie Chili is the perfect thing to curl up with at the end of the day! Meatless and veggie-loaded, this crockpot vegetarian chili is simple to make, packed with flavor, and is the perfect plant based dinner that is loved by all kinds of eaters! Vegan + gluten free too!
I have said it before, but I will say it again…slow cooker meals are my (not so) secret weapon in the kitchen. Got a busy day ahead? Just dump everything into your handy dandy crockpot before you head out and come home to a perfectly cooked dinner ready to enjoy. My slow cooker has made healthy, homemade meals so much more doable as a busy family!
And this Slow Cooker Veggie Chili is our current crockpot obsession.
Made with black beans, pinto beans, and dry lentils, this vegetarian crockpot chili is hearty, high in plant protein, and flavorful. Plus, it is packed with oodles of veggies like onion, bell pepper, carrot, tomatoes, and corn. The perfect dump-and-go dinner recipe that is great to make for meal prep or to stock your freezer with, this chili is naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegan chili on my stove top? Absolutely! Just heat oil in a pot and saute the onion, carrots, pepper, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients then simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Is it possible to make this vegetarian chili in my Instant Pot? Yes! To make this crockpot vegetarian chili in your pressure cooker, add all the ingredients to the pot. Set to Manual and cook on HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. Then allow to natural release for 15 minutes.
Can I use dry beans in this veggie chili? Unfortunately no. Dry beans require a lot more liquid to cook than this recipe calls for, so I don’t recommend using dry beans in this chili recipe.
I only have cooked or canned lentils on hand. Can I use those in this chili recipe? Sure! Cooked lentils are a bit more delicate than cooked beans, so I suggest adding cooked lentils after everything has cooked together. So add them when you add lime juice and cilantro. Stir everything together and let the lentils warm up in the hot chili before enjoying.
Want to find out the BEST way to cut bell peppers? Head over to my How To Cut a Bell Pepper…to minimize waste! post!
How to Store Leftover Vegetarian Chili
One of my favorite things about this crockpot veggie chili is that the leftovers are almost BETTER than the fresh! So, if you find yourself with some leftovers after inhaling this amazing recipe for dinner, you are one lucky duck….but also, here is how to store it properly!
- This easy slow cooker chili will store beautifully in the fridge for 4ish days when stored in an air tight container.
- Freeze this veggie chili in freezer-safe containers and enjoy it for up to 3 months. To defrost, place it in your fridge to thaw overnight or zap it in your microwave for the perfect grab-and-go plant based meal.
If you love this recipe, you are sure to adore my Slow Cooker Vegan Lentil Tacos too!
Suggested Adaptations
Want extra veggies? You can add any kind of peppers, diced squash or sweet potato, or stir in some greens like chopped spinach or kale to this slow cooker veggie chili recipe.
Don’t have lentils? Feel free to replace them with an additional can of any kind of beans.
To make this on the stove-top, heat oil in a pot and saute the onion, carrots, pepper, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients then simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
To make this in the Instant Pot, add all the ingredients to the pot then set to Manual high pressure for 12 minutes then allow to natural release for 15 minutes.
Wondering how to store your carrots so they stay fresh as long as possible? Check out my post on How to Keep Cut Carrots Fresh and get the most out of your produce buck!
Other veggie-loaded slow cooker recipes to simplify dinner time!
- Chickpea Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
- Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos
- Creamy Slow Cooker Vegetable Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Chicken & Butternut Squash Stew
- Slow Cooker Turkey Taco Chili
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Hearty Slow Cooker Veggie Chili
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped red or yellow onion , about ½ large onion
- 1 cup diced carrot, about 1 large carrot
- 1 medium red bell pepper, deseeded and diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 14 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup green or brown dried lentils
- 28 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes, or regular tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked paprika recommended, but regular will work fine too
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, about 1/2 a lime
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, onion through olive oil, to a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or High for 5 to 6 hours.
- Once cook time is up and lentils and carrots are tender, stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro, if using. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
- Ladle chili into bowls then top with more cilantro and any other toppings of your choice.
- Allow leftovers to cool and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days or froze for up to 3 months.
Threw this together quickly with ingredients that I had on hand (subbing the pinto beans for another kind that I had in my pantry) making this a very easy recipe to make. Cooked it in the crockpot and came home to a house that smelled so good. It was a delicious chili that hit the spot on a snowy day. Next time I’m going to try to make the base a little thicker, which is my husband preference. I recommend!
I am so glad you enjoyed this, Jessica! It is a forgiving recipe that allows you to use kinda whatever you have on hand. For a thicker chili, you could reduce the broth by 1 cup.
This might be my favorite vegetarian chili to date! Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this recipe. It couldn’t be easier to put together, and it’s packed full of flavor with the most perfect texture. Thank you for another stellar recipe!
I love this and couldn’t agree more! It really ticks all the boxes without being complicated! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
We loved this delicious, veggie-loaded chili! It is on our meal list now and I can’t wait to have it again. Fast, easy & super yummy! Leftovers tasted as good as the first day.
Hi Sheri! I am so glad you enjoyed this as much as we do! I agree, the leftovers are magical. I find this to be true with so many legume recipes! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Delicious! I swapped out the carrot for a sweet potato because I love sweet potatoes and black bean chili. It’s perfect! This may be my new veggie chili staple!
So delighted to hear that, Stephanie! Love the idea of the sweet potatoes!
Hi Taesha, I love me a good veggie chili – but for the next two months I’ll be on a low acid diet, that means no tomatoes allowed. I know, pretty bad… So I was wondering if your very creative cooking mind has an idea what I could replace the canned tomatoes with..
Oh Eva. I’m so sorry, that is a tricky one…especially when navigating traditionally tomato based recipes like chili. I honestly don’t have much experience in replacing tomatoes with lower acid options. I know I have seen some people do it with beets, but that feels like it would need a lot of flavor tweaking as well. Perhaps, for this recipe, you could up the bell pepper for that red color and add in extra broth in place of the tomatoes. A guess, but where I would start! Hope that helps!