30+ Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
If you’re looking for the best, ridiculously easy, healthy vegetarian slow cooker recipes, you’re in the right place! From baked beans to creamy chowders, the crockpot recipes in this collection are all simple to prepare and perfect low-effort weeknight wins!
About these Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
The crockpot is great for vegetarian cooking!
If you’re new to slow cooking, this curated list of easy recipes is the perfect place to start.
Cook your way through this list and you’ll be a crockpot pro in no time.
The dishes that work best for this type of cooking method are soups & stews, curries, chilis, beans, and even some dips – so you’ll see plenty of those recipes here for you to choose from.
Note: Some of the recipes may say “instant pot” in the title, but the recipe cards contain slow cooker instructions too!
Simplify Healthy Meal Prep with Plant-Based Crockpot Cooking
If you’ve read my book, then you know I’m all about simplifying things.
Less decisions = less stress!
So for at least one dinner a week, I make an easy vegetarian slow cooker recipe and these are some of my family’s all-time favorites.
The beauty of these plant-based meals is that each recipe only needs a few hands-on minutes of prep time and some of them contain as few as 5 ingredients.
Many of them are also designed as dump and go crockpot recipes – so all you need to do is add your real food ingredients to the crockpot, set the timer to cook, and let it do the rest of the work for you!
PS – These recipes make a lot of leftovers, making them great for weekly meal prep or whenever you need to feed a crowd simply & easily. Perfect for low-effort weeknight wins.
Table of Contents
These vegetarian slow cooker recipes are all super simple, gluten-free, dairy-free, and totally delicious – so everyone can enjoy them.
And, to make things even simpler for you, I’ve organized these plant-based one-pot wonders into five recipe categories – click on each category below to go straight to that section:
Healthy Vegetarian Family Meals
What Makes These Recipes Healthy
The truth is, there isn’t a universally agreed upon definition of what makes a recipe healthy.
As an expert on healthy habits, I should know — I’ve interviewed over 200 health and wellness experts on the question of what it really means to be healthy, and have yet to uncover a definition of healthy eating that all experts agree on.
However, I did write the book on what it really means to be healthy, and when it comes to recipes I take a whole, real foods, research-based approach.
With that in mind, all of these recipes are made with whole food ingredients, without any added refined sugar, and do not include processed ingredients or oils.
They are also plant-forward, include whole grains, as well as plenty of colorful, health-filled veggies.
Finally, as a healthy habits expert, I know that a big part of eating healthy is making the process easy.
That’s why all these recipes are not only filled with good-for-you ingredients, but also incredibly simple to prepare.
As always, if you’re following a specific diet for health reasons, consult with your doctor or registered dietitian for specific health advice and check out our nutrition disclaimer for more information.
How to Freeze and Store Leftovers
All of these healthy vegetarian crockpot recipes will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.
Many of these recipes also freeze well, store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipe Collections
Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Soups, Stews & Chowders
Slow Cooker Autumn Minestrone Soup
Ingredients: chickpeas, white beans, butternut squash, diced tomatoes, swiss chard (or spinach), stock, onion, garlic and other spices
Crockpot Creamy Tomato Soup (paleo, whole30, dairy-free)
Ingredients: diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, onion, garlic, raw cashews, Italian seasoning and other spices
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup (with Canned Pumpkin!)
Ingredients: canned pumpkin puree, vegetable stock, canned tomato sauce, cream or coconut milk, onion, garlic, cinnamon and salt.
Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Corn Chowder (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients: russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, broth, coconut milk, onion, garlic, white wine vinegar and other spices
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, Kale & Quinoa Stew
Ingredients: butternut squash, quinoa, kale, tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, white wine vinegar, cumin, paprika, and other spices
10-Ingredient Slow Cooker Vegetable and Quinoa Stew
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, white beans, chickpeas, carrots, diced tomatoes, quinoa, kale, onion, stock
Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients: leeks, potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, vegetable stock, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cashews (or cream / coconut milk), butter (traditional or plant-based) and salt.
Crockpot Split Pea Soup
Ingredients: split peas, vegetable broth, water, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, smoked paprika, red wine vinegar and salt.
Easy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, chipotle peppers, vegetable broth, coconut milk or cream, pumpkin pie spice, olive oil, onion, garlic powder, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and salt.
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
Ingredients: Butternut squash, apples, onion, carrot, turmeric, coconut milk, vegetable stock, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and other spices.
Glow Red Lentil Soup (Instant Pot, Crockpot, Stove Top)
Ingredients: red lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, garlic, ginger, turmeric and other spices
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Apple, & Turmeric Soup
Ingredients: sweet potato, apple, potatoes, stock, coconut milk, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, turmeric and other seasonings
Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Snacks, Sides, and Sauces
Easy-Prep Slow Cooker Baked Beans (Refined Sugar-Free)
Did you know you can use your crockpot to cook dried beans too? I'll show you how to do it in this recipe for slow cooker refried bean tacos (another great vegetarian dinner option).
Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients: frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, raw cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mayo or veganaise
The Best Dairy-Free Salsa Cheese Sauce
Ingredients: Russet potatoes, carrots, chicken or vegetable stock, cashews, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chunky salsa, and salt.
Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
Ingredients: Russet potatoes, olive oil and salt.
Slow Cooker Carrots
Ingredients: carrots, butter, lemon zest, maple syrup and salt.
Slow Cooker Potatoes
Ingredients: small potatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
Ingredients: red cabbage, onions, apples, water, red wine vinegar, brown or coconut sugar (omit for whole30) and optional: butter (traditional or vegan).
Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Chili & Main Dish Meals
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chickpeas
Ingredients: chickpeas, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, tomato paste, maple syrup (or honey), molasses, apple cider vinegar, and water.
Slow Cooker Turmeric Lentil Chili
Ingredients: kidney beans, lentils, stock, onion, tomato paste, coconut milk, cumin, turmeric and other spices
Slow Cooker Veggie Coconut Curry
Ingredients: baby potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, stock, asparagus, peas, coconut milk, red Thai curry paste, lime juice and cilantro
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients: black beans, sweet potatoes, salsa, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
Slow Cooker Refried Bean Tacos
Ingredients: dry pinto beans, water, salt and any taco toppings you like.
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Apple Cider Chili
Ingredients: sweet potato, black beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, onion, stock, apple cider, chili powder, and other spices
Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients: quinoa, canned black beans, bell pepper, onion, cumin, garlic powder, mild chili powder, tomato sauce, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, green chilis, lime juice and salt
Healthy Vegetarian Family Meals
Crockpot Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients: black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, bell peppers, onion, fire roasted tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and other spices
5-Ingredient Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot)
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, black beans, salsa, vegetable stock, cumin, smoked paprika and salt
Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup
Ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, onion, vegetable stock, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Fire Roasted Marinara
Ingredients: fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, onion, smoked paprika.
Dump and Go Vegetarian Meals
Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup (Dump and Go!)
Ingredients: potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, peas, corn, green beans, stock, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bay leaves and salt.
Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
Ingredients: chickpeas, sweet potato, cauliflower, onion, vegetable broth, peas, spinach, coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic powder, tomato paste, lime juice, and salt
Crockpot Lentil Soup
Ingredients: green (or brown) lentils, stock, onion, celery, carrot, diced tomatoes, garlic, red wine vinegar, spinach, salt and bay leaves.
30+ Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes: Enchilada Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 4-ounce can chopped green chilis
- Juice of 1 small lime
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, beans, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, water, salt (taste the mixture prior to adding the quinoa, adding salt to taste), and quinoa to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the quinoa is cooked through.
- Uncover and stir in the green chilies and lime juice. Taste and add additional salt or lime juice if you like.
- Serve with any toppings you like such as avocado, chopped green onions, cilantro, grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, or sliced limes. If you want crunch, go for crushed corn chips and chopped white onion.
Too bad I was hoping for some dishes that weren’t primarily soups, stews, or similar dishes…even when you scroll past the soup section and get to the main dish meals there are very few just more soup, mostly types of chilli. They have whole cookbooks on vegetarian slow cooker meals but lazy websites come up with the same 5 that are on every other site.
Janet, we have lots of readers who enjoy these simple recipes. Sounds like they’re not for you!
Hi Robyn,
I’m an “older” vegetarian from the 90’s. The recipes I could find were through the “Vegetarian Times” cookbook. There were some recipes that were in so many stages of cooking I lost interest. I’ve prepared recipes less tedious but not too many in one cooker.
Your recipes give “options” to try a different or substitute ingredients to your taste. Yours do and I like that.
I’m going to try the Slow Cooker Autumn Minestrone Soup and Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup.
Oh, thank you so much for letting the reader/cook know prior to the recipes that they are Gluten-Free or Dairy Free etc.. My Granddaughter is not able to eat dairy of any kind and I can make the recipes above without worry.
Thank you for your web-site and kindness to share.
Constance
Constance, yay, I’m so glad you’re finding the adaptations useful! I hope you find some recipes here that you and your whole family can enjoy.