This Vegan Crockpot Chili is made with quinoa and black beans, needs only 10 minutes prep then right into the crockpot! It results in a thick, filling and delicious chili.
It’s been raining non-stop and I’ve been craving nothing but soups, warm foods, and chilis. If you see “chills” autocorrect is out for me tonight. This is one of those accidental vegan dishes which I personally think are the best kind. I’ll let you know from now: this vegan crockpot chili is going to rock your world.
Before I get into how delicious this was and how I ate it for days on end, might I mention, it finally happened: I started planning the wedding!! After what seemed like a pretty daunting list of tasks, I got a planner, bound it, and my maid of honour and I started planning earlier this week. I’ve got to say, watching marathons on Say Yes To The Dress for years did not prepare me for the amount of work that has to be done in planning a wedding! Of course it’s all fun and exciting but I completely understand why this is a full time job now.
If anyone is hiring an “add to registry” person, I’m here. I must say, I’ve gotten pretty good at adding tons of items to my registry. And willing them into my future house. Whoa, future house! Okay, let’s back up a bit and get back to this chili.
You know I hate the word “meaty” but this vegan crockpot chili is VERY filling and meaty! I’m talking juicy, chewy, chunky veggies, and thick packed with flavour quinoa and black beans all coming together for a very tasty chili. I was a bit skeptical about a vegan chili working, but I was so surprised and happy with the results. Mr. Bakes enjoyed it thoroughly too, and as someone (him) who has had more chilis than I’ve had PB & J sandwiches (okay, maybe not, I had two today alone) this was a huge compliment. I kept freaking out that it was going to be too dry but we definitely got all the portions down pat.
Without a doubt, I will be making this chili again and again this fall season. I just stocked up on the ingredients, which most of which you’ll already have in your house, to make it again. The recipe makes quite a lot, and the chili lasts up to 2 weeks in the fridge but it’s easily freezable. I already have my next chili on my mind – something with sweet potatoes which I know would taste so decadent because of how soft it would be.
Here’s to fall (almostttt there), rainy days, and more chili!
FUN FACTS/NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
- This chili is extremely filling, healthy and easy to make.
- It’s also loaded with protein and fiber.
- Thanks so all the veggies you’ll also be getting a healthy dose of Vitamin K, beta carotene and B vitamins.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: My vegan isn’t as thick as yours. Why?
A: You may need to cook your vegan crockpot chili for a bit longer on HIGH to soak up some of the liquid. I would recommend another 10 to 20 minutes, monitoring it. Depending on how thin your chili is, you can also add some more quinoa; in 15 minutes it will have thickened up.
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too:
| WHAT YOU’LL NEED // SHOP MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS |
Yields 4-5
10 minPrep Time
3 hrCook Time
3 hr, 10 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 shredded carrot
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 small chili pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- chopped avocado chunks
- chopped green onions
- shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup soaked cashews (cashews soaked in water overnight)
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- splash apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Add the broth, quinoa, black beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Next add the peppers, carrot, onion and garlic, and stir, then add the rest of the seasonings and stir a few times to combine.
- Set the slow cooker (Crock-Pot) to high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours (for high, monitor the last 30 minutes and for low, monitor the last hour). If you like a chili with more liquid, do the 2 1/2 on high, and 5 on low. If you like thicker and just a little bit it liquid, go with the higher number for each option.
- Blend all the ingredients for cashew sour cream in a high speed blender (I use a NutriBullet) until smooth, for about 30 seconds, scraping blender once halfway in between.
- Serve on chili with your favourite toppings (avocado, chopped green onions).
Notes
Cashew Cream inspired by Oh She Glows
If you try this Vegan Crockpot Chili with Quinoa and Black Beans please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
RELATED POSTS
Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers with Strawberry BBQ Sauce!
Quinoa and Black Bean Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Dressing
OLD Pictures on this post 🙂
Yummmm! The avocado looks as if it goes wonderfully!
Thanks Tash!
YUM! I have been working on a quinoa and crockpot chili but so far haven’t come up with anything that I love! Yours however looks perfection! (Mine’s been too watery!) Love how thick and colorful this is – awesome recipe Jessica! Pinned 🙂
Thanks Chelsea! Good luck girl, I’m sure it’ll work out great!!
I love soups and chili when it’s raining – so what a perfect recipe for a rainy day!
Thanks Kristi, me too!
I just made chili on Wednesday. Yours sure looks prettier than mine!
Just right!
Thanks Melanie!
I can’t wait to make my first batch of chili — it needs to cool off here! I’m definitely going to make some quinoa chili — this looks amazing, Jessica! I love that it’s made in a slow cooker too — just perfect! 🙂
Thanks Marcie! Isn’t the slow cooker so easy?!
Jessica, I stumbled across your post on G+ and just had to see more:) Love the protein content of this chili and how perfect it would be for a cozy dinner at home. I’ve never tried cashew sour cream before and will have to try! Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
Thanks Heather! I loved the cashew sour cream, and you’re welcome!
Awww…happy wedding planning! Registering is definitely a very fun aspect of it. And now that the weather is so much cooler, I’m definitely craving different foods like this. I’ve made vegetarian chili with quinoa before and I love how filling it is and far it stretches. It’s great to freeze and have for a quick meal. Yours looks perfect to me.
Aw thanks so much Monica! Haha yes registering away!
A perfect dish for a rainy day… that’s a gorgeous bowl of Chili!! loving everything about it Jessica!! 🙂
Thanks Arpita!
Oh wow… can almost smell it through the computer screen! Looks great.
Thanks Marye!
When it gets chilly it’s time for chili! This version looks perfect! I’ll come over with my spoon!
Thanks Amanda!
Congratulations on beginning to plan your wedding!! That is a huge step, and although it will be stressful at times, I hope it will be fun as well. It’s funny you mention registries because that was one of the first things I put on my registry and someone gifted me with one recently, so I am obsessed with finding recipes to make in it! Can’t wait to try your chili!
Aw thanks so much Nora! I hope you put your slow cooker to excellent use!
OMG, so easy to prep. I prefer to put onions, garlic and spices in first. Let simmer and warm for 15-20 min while prepping other ingredients. At this time of year we have lots of fresh tomatoes, about 2 cups of freshly chopped goes in. Thank you for this! I love slow cooker recipes.
Great idea Cindy, I’ll try that next time. Thanks for commenting!
This crockpot chili looks incredible, Jessica! I love that you used quinoa, such a creative idea! Pinning for the future!
Thanks so much Gayle!
Yay, so fun, have a great time with registering and wedding planning 🙂 This chili looks awesome Jessica! I just pulled out my slow cooker last week and am always looking for new recipes. I especially love that it’s vegan and that you used quinoa and that cashew sour cream sounds amazing!
This is such a perfect recipe for myself and the vegetarian members in my household. Thanks for sharing it Jessica, you can consider that I will be making it!
I love vegan and veggie chillis. They can be just as hearty and the meat versions.
what a healthy and filling meal! Even though I am a vegetarian I have made quinoa only once , I should make it more often! Good luck with the wedding planning Jessica!
Thanks Manali! You should make it more often, it’s so versatile!
I made this for supper tonight and it was an absolute hit! So easy to make and a great change from usual chill. This will definitely go into my dinner rotation for a quick, weeknight meal. Served with a tossed salad and garlic toast. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Marnie,
I’m so glad to hear you all loved the chili! I loved this chili so thanks so much for the feedback.
This looks fantastic! I’ll look forward to making this on a cold winter’s night 🙂
I just made this and it smells amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly, but after 3.5 hours on high, it’s still a bit watery. Suggestions??? Thanks – I love all of your stuff!!
Hi Aviva,
Thank you! Try to leave it on for another half an hour but watch it every few minutes. That should definitely help!
Thank you – it ended up being fine and I added some roasted sweet potatoes which were delicious!
Great recipe! This isnt vegan but the next morning we made breakfast burritos wrapping the chile with scrambled eggs..i reccomend trying it!
Love that idea Nadine! I will definitely try it. Thanks!
I made this for dinner last week and it was so delicious! I definitely will be making it again and my fiance said it was the best chili he had ever had.. even better than meat chilis. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the feedback Brianna! This definitely made me smile and so glad you two enjoyed it!!
What would I do differently if I didn’t want to use canned beans?
Hi Ally,
You could always soak dry packaged beans overnight then drain them and use that instead.
I made this for my meat-eating, chili-loving parents and they thoroughly enjoyed it, admitting that it was not missing meat at all. I added kidney beans to the recipe, and used fresh, diced tomatoes instead of canned. It turned out wonderfully. I will definitely make it again.
So glad you liked it Madeleine! Thanks for the feedback!
I made this chili last night for my family of 6. I doubled the recipe but otherwise followed your recipe exactly. It was so good, I actually repinned it onto my Pinterest Winners board! My mom came over today and we even ate a few bites of leftovers cold, straight from the fridge, and it was still delicious. Great flavors. Thanks for a winner!
So glad you enjoyed it Jennifer! Thanks so much for the feedback and pinning it!
I made this last night for dinner and it was so good!!! It looked and tasted just as good as your picture. I have another vegan chili that is heavy and good when you are looking for something dense, but this had substance but it wasn’t too heavy!! Bravo, this is a new recipe I will add to the regular list!! Thanks Jessica
So glad you enjoyed it Shelley! Thank you so much for the feedback!! 🙂
I’m not a vegetarian, but last night I really wanted chili and had no meat in my house. I ended up using a low sodium chicken broth to give it a ‘meaty’ flavour, threw in some mushrooms and celery, and left it overnight (8 -9 hours). I also used Mrs.Dash salt-free “Fiesta Lima” spice (has cumin, chill powder, cayenne, & other spices)… Woke up to an AMAZING scent of chili (my roommates appreciated it too!) and I can’t wait to try some!!! 😀
I made this for my husband last week. He has had it for lunch and most suppers almost everyday since. I actually just finished throwing it in the crockpot again (filled to the top) so that he can have it for another week. I like it too, but it’s nice to see him enjoy something so healthy. I’m going to try the cashew sour cream tonight.
Oh wow! I’m so glad to here that Bellaisa! That kind of news totally makes my week. Thanks for letting me know!!
These pics are amazing. i will share them on my blog here:http://filmhastasi.blog.com/
This was great! I’m usually weird about chilli because I don’t like meat, but also don’t like tons of beans. Quinoa was the perfect solution! Great flavour and texture. I’ll definitely be making this one again. Thanks!
Hi Sara! I’m so glad you enjoyed my chili! Thanks so much for letting me know – you’re most welcome !!
Hi Yessica! Loved this recipe! It’s very simple and delicious! My husband and I are from South America. We tried this soup for the first time a couple of weeks ago while on a ski trip up in Michigan (we currently live in Miami). It was so delicious that I wanted to make it myself at home and looking for a recipe I came across yours! I made it and it tasted as good as the one we had in Michigan. We were so glad! Thanks a lot for sharing! We appreciate people like you that share their ideas!
Hi Sunny! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that it reminded you of your trip! Thanks so much for the feedback and your kind words. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe Jessica! I needed a vegan chili to feed the officials at our karate tournament, and this looked great. I doubled the recipe, and to take care of the extra liquid I threw in a handful of red lentils after 2 1/2 hours and continued cooking until thicker. I also played with the seasonings as I didn’t want it too spicy since it was for a wide audience (and I grow, dry and grind my own chili and cayenne powders so they are hotter than store bought). We also eat a lot of chili – we have a longer cool season in Canada so get to enjoy that more- and my kids are adventurous enough to appreciate different food experiences.
Hi Angela,
I’m so glad you and your kids and the crowd enjoyed the chili! I love the changes you made to it and that you grow your own seasonings – that’s so cool! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Hi Jessica! Wondering how big of a crock pot you used for this recipe? And how big each serving is? I am making this for 4 adults and 4 kids, and I’d love to have some leftovers to use for another meal, too. Do you think doubling it would fit in a 6 qt crock pot? Or tripling it? Thanks in advance! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Lori,
When I go home today I’ll check the size of my crockpot but I think it’s 4 qt and it wasn’t completely filled. Thanks for your kind comments and I hope when you try it you love it!
If I double this recipe should it be the same amount of time?
Hi Lauren,
I can’t guarantee since I haven’t tried doubling it, but I’m sure it would be the same amount time. Just test it when the time is finished and judge whether it needs another 10-15 minutes.
Hey Jessica,
Just wondering if it would be possible to use lentils instead of quinoa? Is there any change to the cooking time? Am looking to make a double batch for a potluck tomorrow!
Hi Laura,
I’ve never tried lentils in this chili so I’m not sure, but if it’s what you have I would recommend using a chili that uses lentils in the ingredient list instead. Good luck and I hope it works out!
Almost done!!!
I doubled this recipe for the potluck I’m going to tonight. My crock pot is only 3qt though, so I ended up taking out around a cup of liquid because it wouldn’t have fit otherwise! Have been checking it and decided to give the full 6hrs on low…just under 30 mins to go!!!
Tastes darn good so far though, would just like a bit thicker!
Made a double batch (with beans and quinoa), cooked on low for 6hrs – didn’t use quite as much liquid (took out maybe 1-1.5cups because my slow-cooker is only 3 quart), and thickened with a little bit of arrowroot powder.
The verdict?! AMAZING! Worked pretty well for the potluck – people took some to keep as well!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Lauren,
I’m SO glad they worked out! Loved the variations and I’ll definitely try it out. You’re so welcome and thanks so much for the feedback!
This was absolutely delicious! I had to work this weekend and my husband decided to surprise me with this and I was in heaven! The flavor and texture were the perfect balance and I would not have changed a thing!
Hi Dawn,
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the feedback and you have such a lovely husband!
The whole family LOVED this chili!! YUM! Great flavor!
Hi Beth,
Great! Thanks for the feedback and so glad you all enjoyed it!
This was so good. Even my nonvegan boyfriend loved it. I add kale to mine which eorked great. The cashew sour cream is wonderful with it
Hi Linda,
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
I have a confession to make… I’m not vegan, or even vegetarian. I love meat. But I stumbled across this recipe and loved it! I used dried black beans (upped the broth accordingly) and fresh heirloom tomatoes. I added a block of tofu, and I topped it with real cheese instead of the vegan sour cream. I kept thinking I was eating chunks of ground beef and having to remind myself that there was no meat. Something about the quinoa and tofu I think…
Hey Jen,
So glad you loved the recipe!! Yes the chili is quite beefed up (excuse the pun 🙂 ) isn’t it! Thanks so much for your feedback! Love that you added tofu!
How many people does this feed?
Hi Lauren,
About 4-5 people.
YUM! I used this recipe as a blueprint , and i was very pleased with how it came out. I tweaked a couple things , such as adding pea’s , cilantro , eye-ing the seasonings & using a quinoa/barley blend and the only thing i’ll do different next time is add a little less veggie broth as mine came out a bit too watery. What a delicious dish , Thanks for sharing !
Hi Christina,
SO glad you enjoyed!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! 🙂
Hi Jessica, This looks delicious. I have been looking for a crockpot recipe for our teachers’ luncheon to satisfy the variety of food preferences. This fits the bill. Would it work out okay if I doubled all the ingredients? Should I increase the cooking time?
Hi Elaine!
Sorry I’m just seeing your comment. You could definitely double it! I would cook it for the same amount of time. If it isn’t fully cooked, I noted how to increase the time until everything is cooked.
I made this chili for my work’s “Chili-Cook Off” event. After the chili is judged, the chili is served to everyone, and I wanted to ensure that vegans and vegetarians could enjoy the event, too. It was a hit! Even some brave non-vegans/vegetarians that decided to try the crock pot that was marked like a warning “VEGAN VEGAN,” informed me it was the best chili that they have ever had. That says a lot when coming from the Midwest! Thanks for the recipe!
Having a big party next weekend and need to feed a big group with mixed food preferences / requirements. One of the mains we want to serve is a vegetarian or vegan crock pot chili. We tested this recipe last night. I doubled the ingredients, cut the salt by half and the broth by about 10% and didn’t have the red chili pepper. Left it in the crock pot on low for 10 hours (maybe because I doubled it?). It was a hit with our whole family of high performance athletes and carnivores and very easy because there was no meat prep and clean up was easier than usual. This will go into our regular meal rotation. Thanks very much!
Hi Murray,
SO glad to hear that everyone enjoyed!! Also, isn’t it great when clean up is easy?! Thanks so much for your feedback and comments and I hope you party goes really well!
Hi Jessica,
The party was a success! And your chili was a big hit! Many were curious, tried it and were very impressed. Thanks again!