You may or may not have noticed, but I have a somewhat slapdash cooking style. I like to chop a bunch of stuff up and throw in a little of this, a little of that, and end up with whatever I end up with.
This was not always the case – when I first started cooking I meticulously followed recipes and measured every ingredient.
But as I become more familiar with how flavors and spices interact I find it’s easier and easier to just wing it.
In fact, I’ve been using my measuring spoons way more since I started this blog, simply because I don’t think you guys would appreciate it if my recipes all consisted of “Uhm, maybe like a handful or two of cilantro?” in the ingredients list. The sacrifices I make for you, it’s just mind-boggling.
This chili is definitely an example of throwing a bunch of stuff that “seems like chili” into the slow cooker. Chili is one of the easier recipes to do that with because as long as you know to add beans, cumin and chili powder you’re pretty much going to end up with something that tastes like chili.
Chili is frequently a not-vegan dish, what with all that ground beef, but it’s also really easy to make vegan, and in the case of this particular recipe, easy to throw together in the morning and come home to a slow cooker full of deliciousness in the evening.
The directions couldn’t get much easier: chop up all the veggies, rinse the beans, and toss it all into the slow cooker. Let it sit for 6-8 hours and you’re good to go!
If you don’t feel like using the slow cooker you could also just make it in a big pot on the stove. I’d say you’d want to simmer it for about 3 hours if you use dried beans, but if you use canned then you could probably get away with maybe 30-45 minutes of simmering on the stove top.
Slow Cooker Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery chopped fine
- 1 onion diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 c. dried kidney beans make sure to rinse them
- 1 c. dried black beans
- ½ c. dried garbanzo beans
- 1.5 c. frozen corn or about an ear’s worth of fresh
- 3 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Cumin
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Turmeric optional
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pepper to taste
- 7 c. vegetable broth or water
- 1 avocado sliced or mashed (optional, as topping)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the beans are soft and the chili has darkened to a nice deep brownish red. Serve with avocado slices if desired. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
it’s was delicious <3
i have a question: if I want to add Textured Vegetable Protein, how do you suggest i use it? should i do the whole rehydration part and then add it to the chili or should I just put the TVP in there directly?
thank you for this recipe ^^
Absolutely delicious!
Can’t wait to try. I doubled the onions and ditched the celery and carrots and added Chillies
Let us know how it turns out Mary!
OMGoodness … Best EVER! Have just started eliminating canned goods in favor of cleaner eating, and I’ve never made chili w/o meat. Made almost exactly like recipe but used large can organic chopped tomatoes as part of the 7 c liquid (didn’t have fresh). Returned home after 6 hrs & was afraid it was overcooked, but was thick & delicious with just the right amount of “kick”. Tastes like it has meat, but NO … definitely going to be my chili from here on! Thanks!!
I was looking for an easy Vegan chili that I could just throw everything in a slow cooker and go about my day. This was the first time I had ever used a slow cooker and I really wanted to make some Vegan Chili. I threw all the ingredients in there and added some more seasoning ( goya seasoning ) and BOY DID THIS COME OUT YUMMY! I set the timer for 8 hours but stopped it after 7 hours because it looked completely done… and it was! Thank you for a GREAT recipe!
Not really sure if this is a do-over. I built this exact recipe and I’m left wanting something. It’s missing… maybe more tomato’s?
how large a crock pot is this recipe for?
My slow cooker was too small for this recipe. I had to transfer it all to a pot and cook on stove top. Could slow cooker recipes state what size cooker is needed. Next time I will cut recipe in half but it would have been good to know this ahead of time.
Thanks for all your work!
That is the way i love to cook what’s ever handy some dry bean’s soaked over night and rinsed to shorten cooking time in the crock pot. Ad what you want to and a chili powder mix and cook 3-4 hours.
Does anyone know the amount of protein per serving dien this meal? Thanks in advance!:)
I made this dish over the weekend. If you haven’t gotten around to making this yet … MAKE IT and EAT IT! This was seriously delicious, and even my non-vegan husband/chili snob, absolutely loved it and said this recipe was a keeper!
I made it on the cooktop because I was worried about the toxins in the kidney beans and I did soak those little suckers overnight, but the other beans I tossed right in after rinsing them. Took about 4 hours to cook at a good simmer. Next time, however, I’ll toss the veggies in half way through as they were too soft, but boy am I glad this made a large pot ’cause I’m dreaming of chili for lunch and dinner 😉
Toxins in kidney beans? I’ve heard never to cook them in a slow cooker. Thoughts anyone as I’d really love to make this!
Thanks so much!! This was just the recipe type I was looking for!! Dried beans, simple and healthy!!
I adhered strictly to the recipe and directions and it was still thin and bland. Added some tomato paste and more seasoning and it was a hit. Thanks for the starter recipe!
This was SO GOOD. I’m a newbie vegan, and trying to convert my Mom. She is a die-hard hamburger chili fan… and she loved this! The only thing I had an issue with was the liquid. I had to add 2 more cups of veggie stock! But overall… super yum! 🙂
Great Chili. Soaked my beans & they came out perfectly tender. Wonderful spice blend. I decided to try it – if you can make vegan chili taste good, must be a great recipe .. and it is! Thanks.
This chili looks great, so easy! but don’t the red kidney beans need boiling for 10 minutes first to remove the toxins?
I cook all my beans and freeze them into can size portions but it would be great to just chuck everything in the slow cooker to make this chili, just not sure about the red kidney beans it goes against everything I’ve read about them.
I’m guessing you’ve had no ill effects cooking them this way?
Man, you’re really don’t dislike yourself! Way to be!
I’ve always made chili vegan before I knew what vegan was. This recipe is very similar to my own, but I love that it is a slow cooker version and you don’t have to soak the beans. Celery is an interesting addition that I may try.
This looks awesome!!
Awesome, thanks! Looking forward to trying this. I have yet to trust a veg slow cooker recipe enough to leave cooking while I’m at work all day, but I could totally see chili handling it (and be enhanced by it!). Thanks again.
This is great! Just wanted to check to confirm that the beans don’t need to be soaked beforehand. If not, even more awesome!
Nope, no soaking – just rinse and throw ’em in the slow cooker. If you do it on the stovetop I suppose you could soak them for a couple hours to reduce the cooking time.
This is exactly what I am craving today, thank you for reading my mind! Found you on vegolicious(I’m on there too), really glad I did, lovely blog!