Vegan Chili (Slow Cooker)
This Vegan Chili is hearty and cozy and takes only 10 minutes of prep! It goes right into your slow cooker and is perfect for meal prepping. It results in a thick, and delicious chili that is so filling!
Thanks to Crockpot™ for sponsoring this blog post! Thanks so much to you my readers for supporting the brands who support Jessica in the Kitchen! All texts and opinions are my own.
I’ve been making this chili for my family from before I even went vegan, and that in and of itself is a testament to how delicious (and requested!) it is! Time and time again, after a single spoonful when it’s done, I hear a satisfying “ahh”. This Vegan Chili uses some simple pantry ingredients to make a hearty and delightful meal that you and your family will also be looking forward to. And if it’s just you, this freezes so beautifully too! Read on for more on that. It’s also an incredible option for serving at Thanksgiving or any holiday occasion this year.
Speaking of holiday occasions – how is that looking for you this year? I know things look a bit different for everyone this year. If you’re participating in a virtual Friendsgiving/Zoomsgiving (I am for one of them!) this is such a cool option to show up with! Let me know how you’re adjusting this year!
You may remember me mentioning Crockpot MyTime™ 6-QT. Programmable Slow Cooker in my Mushroom Wild Rice Soup recipe last month. Firstly, you guys LOVED that dish and I love seeing all your photos to this day about it! I’m using that Crockpot MyTime™ 6-QT. Programmable Slow Cooker today again for this Vegan Chili!
I’ve been using it for a while and on a few different recipes, and needless to say, I’m in love. Not only do I love the size, I love the fact that it fits into your lifestyle. If you love prepping dinner in advance (AGAIN, teach me your ways!) – YOU tell it what time you want to have dinner, and your Crockpot™ does the rest. This is so ingenious for meal prepping or if you have specific meal times that you want to fit into. If you want to be able to set a manual cooking time though, no worries, your Crockpot™ also easily caters to the traditional “HIGH” or “LOW” settings.
For this Chili, either option is up to you. Which is pretty much the way life should be right?!
Notes on the Ingredients:
Uncooked Quinoa – be sure to use uncooked quinoa since it’ll soak up your veggie broth and add to the texture
Black Beans – feel free to swap this for pinto or kidney beans, or any of your favourite kind of beans
Diced Tomatoes – I prefer using canned tomatoes here because it’s way easier, but you can use regular tomatoes. I would recommend juicy and fresh tomatoes, so they have a similar amount of liquid as canned diced tomatoes.
How to Make Easy Vegan Chili (Step by Step Instructions)
Add the vegetable broth, uncooked quinoa, black beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Next add the peppers, carrot, corn, onion and garlic, and stir.
Then add the rest of the seasonings and stir a few times to combine.
Cover your Crockpot™ and set 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. Taste when finished, and add any more salt or heat if needed.
After your soup is finished cooking, serve and top with your favourite toppings such as vegan sour cream, avocado, scallion and vegan cheese or shredded carrots. Enjoy!
Expert Tips & FAQ
- Dice the veggies into similar sizes so that everything cooks evenly. That’ll give you the best texture for the vegetables in the chili.
- Be sure to stir everything together well. Since you want to let your Crockpot™ do its thing without disturbing it, you want to ensure all your veggies and seasonings are properly mixed so they all cook together perfectly.
- If you want an extra creamy chili, you can blend a cup of it at the end in a blender, then stir it back in. This is a method I love to do in many of my soups, and it works well with chili too!
- I often get asked “does this freeze well? This one does! Freeze, then thaw overnight in your fridge when ready to enjoy, then reheat.
- Feel free to make this your OWN! You can leave the corn out, try two different types of beans – the options are endless!
How to Serve – I would suggest trying to my vegan sour cream to serve on top with a few slices of avocado!
More Crockpot Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this Easy Vegan Chili Recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Easy Vegan Chili Recipe (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 15 oz black beans, (1 can of black beans) drained and rinsed
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small chili pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
- Add the vegetable broth, uncooked quinoa, black beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Next add the peppers, carrot, corn, onion and garlic, and stir, then add the rest of the seasonings and stir a few times to combine.
- Cover your Crockpot™ and set 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.
- Taste when finished, and add any more salt or heat if needed. Feel free to add more veggie broth too if you want it more liquid.
- After your soup is finished cooking, serve and top with your favourite toppings such as vegan sour cream, avocado, scallion and vegan cheese or shredded carrots. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dice the veggies into similar sizes so that everything cooks evenly. That’ll give you the best texture for the vegetables in the chili.
- Be sure to stir everything together well. Since you want to let your Crockpot™ do its thing without disturbing it, you want to ensure all your veggies and seasonings are properly mixed so they all cook together perfectly.
- If you want an extra creamy chili, you can blend a cup of it at the end in a blender, then stir it back in. This is a method I love to do in many of my soups, and it works well with chili too!
- I often get asked “does this freeze well? This one does! Freeze, then thaw overnight in your fridge when ready to enjoy, then reheat.
- Feel free to make this your OWN! You can leave the corn out, try two different types of beans – the options are endless!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Wow thank you sherya! We loved this comment! Thanks for your kind words! We wish you and your family all the best!
This recipe has now become a regular in our household! I always have to end up doubling it! It’s so flavorful and fits my vegan lifestyle! All of my non vegan loved ones devour it too!
Hi Nic,
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for sharing with me!
What is the serving size for 247 calories? 1 cup? 1/2 cup? Making this today and want to make sure to track it correctly as I am sure I am going to love it.
Hi Noelle,
Oh gosh I’m not really sure – I would say about 1 cup! After you make it you can see how much it makes though and split it up accordingly – I really hope that helps!
I tried this recipe yesterday for a dinner party and is was a HUGE hit… there was nothing left! Thank you so much for the recipe!
So if I were making this with dried black beans rather than canned, I’d need to measure out one third of the amount, soak overnight and cook the beans before adding them to this recipe, am I right? Thank you ?
That should work. We haven’t tested that so please give us feedback if you can.
This has been my go-to chili for 3 years and I can honestly say I’ve never had any betterr. Packed with deliciousness and veggies and protein, hearty and simple to prepare…it really doesn’t get better than this when it comes to meal planning 🙂 Thank you!
Aww I am so so happy to hear that Brandalynn!! <3 Thank you so much for sharing with me!
I’m trying this today… Making it for my vegan daughter. I don’t see in the recipe steps when to add the corn. Does it just get added after the chili has finished cooking?
Hi Sheryl,
Add it when adding in the quinoa and black bean etc.! I hope you and your daughter enjoy so much!!
Aww thank you so much!! Ironically I got so excited seeing your comment that it looks like I forgot to respond haha!! <3
We love this recipe. It is our winter party go to dish because it feeds a large group. I use a half green pepper and half red pepper and double the spices.
Thank you so much for reading Rachel. We’re so happy that you enjoy the recipe!
Delicious! Made this last week and we are the whole pot in one meal. Making it again and doubling it to share with friends!
I substituted some dried chipotle pepper for the chili and fire roasted tomatoes for the regular diced since I already had those on hand.
Hi Corey, thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment we really appreciate it. Your additions really sound great.
I am new to the website. It was very easy to make and very tasty!
Diana
Awesome we’re so happy to hear that Diana.