Happy Meatless Monday, friends!
Since soup season seems to be in full swing lately, I thought it would be apropos to kick the week off with one of my favorite recipes that just so happens to be meatless, vegan, gluten-free, super-easy to make, and wonderfully warm and comforting for chilly fall nights — my Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili!
This recipe is admittedly a riff on my Slow Cooker Chili recipe that’s usually made with ground beef. But I’ve been making it meatless for my vegetarian and vegan friends for years, adding in some farro (not gluten-free) or quinoa (gluten-free) for extra protein. And let’s just say, it is always a hit with vegetarians, vegans and meat-lovers alike. My friends love this chili!!!
If you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to whip up in about 30-ish minutes on the stove (see instructions below). But for anyone who loves coming home to a delicious meal simmering in the Crock Pot, I think it’s hard to beat the ease of letting your slow cooker do all of the work with this one. Whatever method you choose, I think you’re going to love this one too. :)
As I said before, I love adding in some extra grains to this vegetarian chili recipe to thicken it up and add some extra protein. About half the time I go with quinoa, which is a great gluten-free option that people seem to enjoy. But my favorite option is to actually use farro, which isn’t gluten-free but does add a deliciously chewy texture and nutty flavor to the chili. That said, you could also sub in barley or rice or other grains that you’d like, or just nix adding extra grains entirely. The choice is yours.
To make the chili in the slow cooker, simply toss all of your ingredients in the Crock Pot and stir to combine. Then cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours until everything is cooked through. So easy!
Or, if you’d like to make this chili on the stovetop, saute your onions in a tablespoon of oil until soft. Then add all of your remaining ingredients (minus the vegetable stock and quinoa or farro) and cook on high until the chili reaches a simmer. Meanwhile in a separate pot, simmer the quinoa or farro in the vegetable stock until it is cooked through. Then add that entire pot (including the extra broth) to the chili mixture, and stir to combine.
Then it’s time to ladle up that chili!
You can either serve it plain…
…or load it up with any of your desired toppings. I went with (vegan) avocado, cilantro, green and red onions. But you could also add in some shredded cheese and/or sour cream if you’re making this vegetarian. Whatever sounds good to you sounds good to me. :)
Hope that you enjoy, and have a happy chili season!
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked farro* or quinoa**
- 1 medium red or yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce***, chopped
- 2 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (**see below for substitution ideas)
- 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup beer (or you can just add extra vegetable broth)
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- (Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips or strips, thinly-sliced green onions, sour cream, salsa, etc.)
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method:
- Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir thoroughly to combine. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours until the chili is cooked through. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper or seasonings if need be.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra toppings if desired. Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Stovetop Method:
- In a small pot, cook the farro or quinoa in the vegetable stock according to package directions until it is cooked through. (There will be extra vegetable stock — don’t worry, you’ll add everything to the chili once the farro/quinoa is cooked.)
- Meanwhile as the farro/quinoa are cooking,heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a separate large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add your diced onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add all of your remaining ingredients minus the vegetable stock and farro (or quinoa), and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the chili reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the quinoa/farro is cooked, add it (along with any extra vegetable stock) to the chili and stir to combine. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper or seasonings if need be.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra toppings if desired. Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!If you love chili, be sure to also check out these other favorite chili recipes on the blog!
I decided I should actually comment on this recipe after months and months of making it!!! It is literally SO amazing. My husband and I are vegan and this is one of our staples. I make some changes though. I leave out the quinoa cause for some reason I don’t like it and I add extra chipotle chili in adobe because we like spice. And when it’s time to eat, we eat it over rice (white or brown, both are bomb) or with tortilla chips… or sometimes rice and chips cause YOLO. We even made it camping and just put in a big cast iron and let it simmer over the fire for a while and it’s so filling and EASY! Go make this. Right now!
I love this recipe! We have several family members who are vegan and this chili recipe is perfect. We all love it and it satisfies every diet. I started out making another one of your chili recipes but my husband and I prefer this one, especially with avocados on top.
Thanks for sharing, Catherine, we’re so glad you and your family are fans! :)
So tasty and filling in a good way! I accidentally forgot to buy tomato sauce, so I simply omitted draining the beans, and it still turned out great. Love recipes that are easy to adapt!
Thank you, Kelsey, we’re so happy you enjoyed it! :)
Would this work with rice? I’m gluten-free and allergic to quinoa, but everything else looks great!
Sure thing! :)
Whats the serving size?
Hi Kathleen! This makes 6-8 servings.
I just want you to know that this is the best chili i have ever eaten in my life. My husband, who requires meat in every meal always, even insisted that we make a couple more batches for the next week or so…. thank you so much!! <3
Wow, thank you for your sweet words, Nonarae — we’re so happy you and your husband love it! :)
Hello, I am looking forward to making this tonight. I have a question about the tomato sauce listed in the recipe: can that be any regular tomato pasta sauce? Or does it need to be tomato paste?
Hi Tom — we’re sorry for just now getting to your comment! You want the tomato sauce in the can, which you’ll find by the canned tomatoes (not marinara/pasta sauce).
I just made this chili and it is delicious. I have a few modifications I would make next time – first of all it’s way to salty! I diluted the chili with a cup of water and it seemed to help a little but I would go for low sodium stock next time. Also I added only half of the recommended quinoa and it was plenty.
Thanks for sharing with us, Tara — we’re not sure why it came out so salty (maybe it was the type of chicken stock you used?) but definitely feel free to try reduced sodium chicken stock next time. We’re glad you were able to tone it down some with the water and that you still enjoyed it. :)
I am making this now and it has been cooking for about 2 hours on high but is really watery. Should I add cornstarch mixed with water to help thicken it or will it thicken within the next two hours?
It should definitely thicken! Please let us know how this turned out for you.
Skip the added sugar and add 6 diced carrots they will sweeten the dish and a good for you food unlike added sugar