Easy 3 Bean Veggie Chili: Slow Cooker Recipe

This delicious slow cooker vegetarian chili is made with three beans and is loaded with veggies like onion, bell pepper, carrot, and celery. Let your slow cooker do the work while you enjoy a comforting bowl of chili.

slow cooker vegetarian chili recipePhoto byThyme of Season

This simple vegetarian chili recipe for the crockpot is super tasty and a very easy to make using everyday pantry staples, three types of beans, veggies, and spices. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan! The toppings you add will be the difference between vegan or vegetarian making it suitable for both diets.

This slow cooker vegetarian chili is packed with nutritious ingredients and full of flavor, it is perfect for cozy fall evenings.

Key Ingredients

This slow cooker vegetarian chili requires a range of delicious ingredients. You will need the following ingredients:

Onions: Red or white onion is a perfect for this recipe.

Bell Pepper: You can use any color you like in this dish.

Carrots: Bring a nice touch of sweetness to the chili, use whole carrots instead of baby carrots, if you can!

Celery: Adds a nice flavor boost, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Tomato Sauce: When it comes to tomato sauce, check the canned goods aisle for options. Aim for one that doesn’t have added sugar to keep this recipe low in sugar.

Tomatoes: You can use regular diced tomatoes in a can.

Beans: We like to mix black, pinto, and kidney beans for this recipe, but you can use whatever beans you have or prefer. Chili beans and white beans are great alternatives too.

Kosher salt: If you’re using table salt, just remember to cut back a bit on the amount.

Spices: Ground cumin, granulated garlic, chili powder, and smoked paprika pack a punch of flavor with minimal effort. You can swap in two minced cloves of fresh garlic for the garlic powder and regular paprika if you don’t have smoked. If you want to keep it mild, go for a mild chili powder, or use hot chili powder if you prefer a little heat.

Measured Ingredients

• 1 cup diced yellow or red onion
• 1 cup diced red, green and/or bell pepper
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 (15-oz) can no-sugar added tomato sauce
• 1 (15-oz) can diced 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 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and/or shredded cheese for garnish (optional)

How to Prepare

In a 6-quart slow cooker, toss in the onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika.

Give it a good stir to mix everything up. Cover it up and let it cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours until the veggies are nice and tender.

Once it’s done, uncover it and mix in the lime juice and hot sauce if you want a kick.

Taste the chili and add more salt if you think it needs it. You can serve it just like that or add any toppings you prefer.

Storage Suggestions

You can keep your homemade three bean slow cooker vegan chili in the fridge for about 3-4 days if it's in a sealed container. Plus, it freezes nicely too! Just place it in a freezer-safe container, and it’ll last for 2-3 months.

If you portion out this slow cooker vegetarian chili recipe and freeze it, you can have a delicious meal ready to heat and serve whenever you need it. Ideal for meal prep or a cozy dinner at home. It's simple and delicious.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe is available to Print or Save as PDF for future reference.