Crockpot Vegetarian Chili
This easy crockpot vegetarian chili recipe tastes delicious and is easy to make with basic pantry ingredients, three beans, vegetables, and spices. Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and includes stove top instructions, too!
We’re big fans of crockpot chili recipes around here, and this recipe is no exception!
This hearty slow cooker three bean vegetarian chili is full of vegetables like onion, bell pepper, carrot, and celery, and packed with hearty kidney, pinto, and black beans.
It’s easy to throw together from common pantry staples and requires minimal prep, making it the perfect dump-and-go slow cooker recipe for just about any occasion.
This one-pot vegetarian, vegan slow cooker dinner is a recipe you’ll find yourself making again and again.
How to Make Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker
Once you chop & add all your ingredients to the crockpot, this slow cooker vegan chili is a hands-off recipe.
The low & slow cook time allows the vegetables to get tender, and for all the flavors & spices to meld.
Easy slow cooker recipes are essentially one-pot meals, meaning less dishes and less clean up for you.
This healthy recipe makes a lot, so it’s perfect for easy entertaining, feeding a crowd, or to freeze extra servings for lunch or dinner another day
How to Use & Serve Slow Cooker Vegan Chili
Toppings make a chili, so load up on hot sauce, chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, 4-ingredient guacamole, sour cream, cheese, chips if you like.
Make it chili mac! Stir the chili together with cooked pasta and cheese (vegan or traditional).
Use leftover chili as a burrito filling wrapped in warm tortillas or as a taco filling.
Serve with crusty bread or these easy sweet potato muffins.
Enjoy a simple salad on the side like this creamy cabbage slaw, this Mexican slaw, or with a simple salad tossed with chipotle honey salad dressing or balsamic vinaigrette.
How to Store or Freeze Leftover Crockpot Vegetarian Chili
Homemade three bean slow cooker vegan chili will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container
This recipe also freezes well, store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months
Make Ahead Tip: This recipe can be made ahead! Perfect for meal prep on busy weeks (or anytime you need to feed a crowd quickly & easily)
Recipe Notes, Modifications & Adaptations
Use any color or combination of bell peppers you like.
If you can’t find or don’t have fire roasted tomatoes, regular diced tomatoes are fine too.
Any bean will work here, including canned black, bean, pinto, white, or chickpeas
This is a very mild chili. For a spicier version add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the other ingredients and stir in a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce at the end.
Tip: If you want to make this slow cooker chili with ground turkey, try this Crockpot Turkey Chili recipe instead!
Ingredient Notes & Substitution Suggestions
Onion: Red onion can also be used, or leave it out if you don’t like onions.
Bell pepper: Any color of bell pepper will work in this recipe.
Carrot: Carrots add a lovely natural sweetness to this chili. Look for whole, top-on carrots if you can find them!
Celery: Adds depth of flavor, but can be omitted if needed.
Tomato sauce: Look for canned tomato sauce near the other canned tomato products. Look for one with no-added sugar to keep this recipe sugar-free.
Fire roasted tomatoes: Add a smokiness to this recipe, but regular diced tomatoes will work well, too.
Beans: I use a mix of black, pinto, and kidney beans for this recipe, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Chili beans and white beans will also work.
Koser salt: If using table salt, you may need to reduce the amount.
Spices: Ground cumin, granulated garlic, chili powder, and smoked paprika all add tons of flavor will little effort. Two cloves of minced fresh garlic can be used in place of the garlic powder, and regular paprika in place of smoked. Use a mild chili powder to keep the spiciness low, or hot chili powder for a kick.
Fresh lime juice: Don’t skip the fresh lime juice! It really makes this dish.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarian
More Easy Slow Cooker Chili Recipes
Crockpot Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 (15-oz) can no-sugar added tomato sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp mild chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
optional toppings:
- Easy Guacamole
- Hot sauce, chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, sour cream, cheese, chips
Equipment
Instructions
- To a 6-quart slow cooker, add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 or until the vegetables are tender.
- Uncover, stir in the lime juice and hot sauce, if using. Taste and add the remaining salt if desired. Serve as is or with any toppings you like.
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper, carrot, and celery, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the veggies are very tender and the chili has thickened, about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover, stir in the lime juice and hot sauce, if using. Taste and add the remaining salt if desired. Serve as is or with any toppings you like.
I made this today (followed the recipe exactly) and it was delicious! Definitely will make again, and the prep was maybe 10 minutes max. So easy and flavorful – this is perfect for a weeknight meal!
Jen, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This stuff is sooooo yummy! I think I’m on my fourth round of this recipe. Its absolutley PERFECT. Tonight I added some fozen white corn. You can add almost any veggie to this recipe and it would still be mouthwatering! I usually top mine with cheese and chow with scoop tortilla chips. Lol
Karen, yay, so glad you’re enjoying this one! And love the idea of adding some white corn, yum! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Easy, fast & delicious! Made it numerous times last winter and plan to add it to the rotation again this winter. Great for Super Bowl Sunday!
Michele, woohoo, so glad you’re enjoying this one. And such a great idea for game day! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I appreciate you!
Hi Robyn, quick question. .if you use the lime juice, do you also need to use the hot sauce? My family tends to like less heat in their meals. Is the lime juice also optional? This recipe looks delicious! Will be making tomorrow! Thank you!
Hi Susan, the hot sauce is definitely optional, so if your family doesn’t like heat I suggest skipping it. The lime juice does add a nice balance to the final dish, but you can also skip if if you’d prefer not to use it. Hope you enjoy!
I was so excited about this chili I got ahead of myself when adding the ingredients. I accidentally added the lime juice in at the beginning with everything else instead of at the end. Should I add more at the end or leave it as is? Thank you for your help.
Whitney, the fresh lime adds a bit of acid to balance the flavors at the end, so if you have more go ahead and add it at the end, too. Hope you enjoy!
So delicious! I was skeptical about the veggies but I wish I did more! Will be making again. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Amy, yay, so happy to hear this was a hit (even with all the veggies)! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
Yummmmmm! Used regular paprika, my favorite vegetarian chili recipe I’ve tried and not too spicy.
Erin, great to know this one works will with regular paprika too! So happy you enjoyed, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Omg… this was delicious! I made it for my company pot luck… it was a BIG hit.
Thank you!
Robyn, fantastic, I’m so glad you enjoyed this one and that it was a hit at the pot luck. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This vegetable chili was great! I added hot sauce and made it very spicy but whole family loved it. Thanks!
Frank, so glad you enjoyed this one! I agree, adding hot sauce is a must. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Made this and was very easy. Tasted great. Wish I saw the amount of sodium in this before I made it. Seems very high
So glad you enjoyed this one! The sodium will very depending on the specific ingredients you use. If you want it to be lower sodium, use no-salt added tomato sauce, no salt-added diced tomatoes, and be sure to drain and rinse your beans. This will reduce the sodium significantly. You can also reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon as well. It’s definitely a very flexible recipe!
Quick question for clarification – the liquid is coming from the cans alone, correct? You mention draining and rinsing in the comments to reduce the sodium, but the original recipe calls for un-drained cans of beans and tomatoes? I’m assuming that IF draining and rinsing to reduce sodium, the addition of water and/or vegetable broth would be needed? I’m planning to make this for a baby shower, and don’t want to mess it up! 🙂 Thank you!!
Hi Andrea, the liquid comes from the can of tomato sauce, the diced tomatoes (undrained, including the liquid), as well as the liquid the veggies release when cooked. Per the recipe, the beans are to be drained and rinsed prior to adding. You shouldn’t need to add any additional liquid, but if you like a thinner chili, you could consider adding some stock at the end, but it shouldn’t be necessary. I hope it’s a hit for the baby shower!
We love this chili recipe! My question is in relation to the beans. I’ve been starting to use dried beans and soaking them overnight before using in a recipe such as this. Any tips on how to convert for dried beans in this recipe? I’m mostly winging it on the amounts I’m using and adding a little veggie broth in when cooking in the slow cooker since they need more liquid when cooking. I’d love your opinion if you’ve got one on the dried vs. canned bean scenario. THANK YOU for all your amazing recipes over the years!
Hi Ashley, I’m so glad you enjoy this one, and love that you’re cooking more with dried beans! I haven’t tested it, but yes, if you soak the beans overnight you likely need to add more liquid (perhaps 3 1/2 cups water or broth) for 1 1/2 cups dried beans. You’ll also need to cook it longer, likely high for 6-7 or low for 8-9. You might need to add more salt at the end, too. If you give it a try let us know how it turns out, I’d love to add those notes for others who want to use dried beans!
Super easy meal for weeknight hosting and my guests raved about it. Interesting flavors for a dish that can sometimes feel ordinary.
Hayden, yay, so happy to hear this was a hit with your guests! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Very good recipe. I added vegetarian ground beef and some vegetable broth. Tastes amazing.
Taylor, so glad you enjoyed this one! Great to know this one works with vegetarian ground beef – thanks for the tip!
Hi!
I plan to make this for a potluck, was wondering if you ever made this with peppers like jalapeño and poblano added while cooking?
Hi Megan, I haven’t, but I think hot peppers would be a great addition as long as you like it spicy! Hope you enjoy!
This tasted delicious. I made a double batch for Christmas and it was a hit. I’ve got a batch going now and it’s probably going to become a regular meal for us.
Patrick, so happy to hear this one is going to become a regular for you! So glad you enjoyed. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
The family loved this chili recipe! Couldn’t find fire-roasted tomatoes so did a reverse with a can of diced tomatoes and a jar of Classico Fire-Roasted tomato and garlic pasta sauce. Cheers.
Geoff, glad this one was a hit – great idea to sub in fire roasted tomato sauce! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This is a phenomenal recipe! I am new to trying vegetarian dishes. This was super easy and tasted great.
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Do you have a stove top method??
Hi Lisha, I just added those instructions for you in the recipe card. I hope you enjoy!
Hi there! I would love to do this in an instant pot, any advice for adapting the recipe?
Hi Rain, I’m still working on perfecting this one in the instant pot. The problem is that the tomato sauce sets off the burn sensor on some instant pot, which kind of ruins the whole batch! I think a workaround would be adding all the ingredients except the tomato sauce to a 6-quart instant pot, stirring all the ingredients together, then adding the tomato sauce on stop (don’t stir it in, just let it sit on the top). Seal, then high pressure for 10 minutes, then natural release. Then open and stir. I’ll keep testing it myself, but if you give it a try and it works let me know and I’ll add the instructions to the recipe card.
Hi! What’s the serving size for the nutrition info? Trying to track accurately thanks!
Hi Jordan, this recipe makes 6 servings, so the nutritional information is for 1/6th of the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is delicious and so easy to make! It’s perfect for feeding a crowd of all ages. It is naturally very mild so I would recommend adding the hot sauce if you are feeding a group of adults. I will definitely be making this again!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed and agree about the hot sauce for a much-needed spicy hit at the end. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Made it for my vegetarian son and daughterin-law.
They loved it and wanted the recipe. So good we all had some. Thanks!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!
This is delicious! I made this for my lunches this week and it’s perfect!!!
Great idea to make this for lunch meal prep, Erin. Yum! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This chili is one of the best chilis I have ever had!! Try this recipe now if you haven’t already. I recently started my Vegan journey and been looking for good replacement recipes for things I love. THIS IS PERFECT! SO GOOD!
Yay, Gabby, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
How many people does it feed? This should be at the beginning of the recipe. Did I miss it?
Hi Barbara, it is at the beginning of the recipe! Yield is 6 servings. Hope you enjoy!
Subbed corn for the carrots and chickpeas for the celery. I didn’t feel like running to the store for just those 2 items, also added fresh chopped garlic. Will cook chicken separately, because only my one kid is vegetarian and want to satisfy everyone
Glad you were able to make this one work with what you had on hand, Bonnie. Great idea to add chicken for those who want it! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Hi – I see the nutritional information here but what is the serving size? It was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Theresa! You can find that info under “yield” at the top of the recipe card. For this recipe it’s 6 servings!
Excited to try this recipe! How long would I cook this recipe if I cut it in half?
Steffani, I haven’t tried halving this recipe, but it should work. You may need to adjust the time down slightly, but otherwise you should be good to go. The chili freezes well, too, so if you end up with leftovers that’s always an option. Hope you enjoy!
The recipe looks great! The recipe calls for one can for each of the beans. How many ounces?
Hi Meg, 15-oz cans of beans. Hope you enjoy!
This sounds really good. I always struggle with the vegetable counts since it will cause lots of leftovers. Wondering your thoughts of how this will come out if I use double the vegetable for certain line items like the onion and celery. I like vegetables.
Hi Jason, I haven’t tested this one with doubling the onion and celery, so I can’t say for sure. It might cause the chili to come out a bit too watery, but it would likely still taste good. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Hi Robyn – I ended up doubling the onion celery and carrot. Basically because it was the other half of the amount I bought of the Items. I reheated a portion in a sauce pan with a little bit of brown rice and thought it came out fantastic. – Jason
Fantastic to hear, Jason. Thanks so much for sharing your tips!
Hi Robyn..This recipe sounds fab Thankyou for it . 😊! I have just written it into a notebook of recipes to try and ones I have tried and tested.Just one question for you Is the tomato sauce the same as passata? Thanks
Nina, tomato sauce in the US comes in a can near the other canned tomato products and typically contains salt, and some spices like garlic and oregano, and is cooked down a bit. You can definitely substitute passatta if you can’t find tomato sauce, but you may need to add a bit more salt and seasoning since those will be missing. I hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe!!!!! I have made this several times and everyone loves it. I make it with cornbread. I also use 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes instead od the sauce. Thank you!
Christine, ohhhh, love the idea of subbing in fire roasted tomatoes for the tomato sauce — great tip! Thanks so much for sharing your thougts!
This chili is delicious! Hearty and so flavorful!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Mary! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Hi. I am planning to make this for myself and my toddlers. I will definitely leave out the hot sauce but wondering if I should leave out the mild chilli powder aswell. What do you think? The babies are 1.5 years old.
Hi Sophie, the impact of the mild chili powder is typically pretty mild in terms of overall spiciness, but if you’re at all concerned you can definitely skip it, as you’ll still get plenty of flavor from the other spices!
Easiest recipe to make and delicious! Loved it – thank you.
Woohoo, so happy to hear it was a hit, Emma. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
This recipe is very easy and quite delicious. I’m keeping this recipe for sure.
Fantastic, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Joan. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi there
I made this as standard and it was unreal. I want to make another batch but add some quinoa and possibly a few lentils (dry). How would you recommend going about this fitting into the recipe regarding additional fluid?
Hi Mike, so happy you enjoyed the recipe as written. You’re correct that lentils and quinoa both absorb a significant amount of liquid. I haven’t tested this recipe with either, so I can’t guess as to the required liquid required. If you want to give it a try, I’d start with adding a 1:1 liquid to quinoa ratio and see how that goes, then from there try lentils with a 1:1 liquid ratio. I hope that helps!
I used zucchini instead of celery. I can hardly wait to try it!
Nicky, I love the idea of putting zucchini to use in this vegetarian chili, such a great idea. I hope it’s a hit!
This was such an easy, good recipe! I added beyond beef and about 4 tbsp of siracha, perfect! The lime and hot sauce really elevate it, its mild on its own. I topped it with shredded cheddar and green onion 🙂
Jessica, great to know this one worked with beyond beef, I’m sure that tip will help others who want to make this recipe. And yes to the hot sauce and lime juice! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
CAN’T WAIT TO GET MORE OF YOUR HEAVENLY RECIPIES SENT TO MY EMAIL – GOD’S BLESSINGS
Is there a way to cut back on the sugar?
Hi Angela, there is no added sugar in this recipe, however the sugar in this nutrition card is all coming from the natural sugars in the vegetables (tomatoes, onions, carrots, and a bit from the bell pepper). You can leave the vegetable out, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. If you want a recipe with zero sugar (even natural sugar from vegetables) I’d recommend looking for a different recipe. I hope that helps!