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Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Vegan Chilli

By Sally · Jun 16, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links.
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4.72 from 7 votes

This really is the best vegan chilli recipe made from pantry staple ingredients and only 10 minutes of prep! A hearty mix of beans, vegetables and lentils are dumped into a slow cooker making it perfect for meal prepping. The result is a thick, filling and deeply satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Vegan chilli served in a bowl topped with vegan sour cream, avocado, cheese and lime.

This slow cooker vegetarian chilli is one of my favourite dairy free dinner recipes. Its honestly so simple, is packed full of good for you ingredients, and tastes so good! I seem to always forget just how tasty this recipe is and each time I make it I am so glad it’s a big batch!

While the whether might still be pretty warm here in sunny Queensland, it is technically Autumn and therefore it’s time to pull out the slow cooker.

This slow cooker recipe is not one that is going to ask you to do a bunch of prep work. You don’t have to sauté anything in a pan first. It’s a 100% dump and go style recipe which we love for days (and weeks) that just feel busy.

Plus we make a huge pot, making 6 serves so it’s perfect for a Sunday meal prep day where you don’t actually want to spend hours cooking but still want to have delicious and healthy lunches ready for the week.

Key Ingredients

This chilli recipe is the ultimate in pantry staple comfort food as most of the ingredients used here also have a long shelf life so it’s perfect for using up those extra cans of beans and vegetables that you have collected in the back of your pantry.

All ingredients needed for vegan chilli laid out in small bowls.

Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Onion and garlic – finely diced and added straight into the pot – no sauteing needed!
  • Tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes are what I use here.
  • Tomato paste – to add depth and richness to the flavour.
  • Beans – I am using 1 can each of black beans and kidney beans. You can use all of one or the other or substitute with a can of chickpeas as well.
  • Red lentils – dried red lentils are what’s going to make this chilli really thick and filling! I don’t recommend skipping or adding a different type of lentil as they wont absorb the liquid and break down in the same way.
  • Corn – I am using canned corn to keep this recipe all pantry staples, but you could also add frozen corn.
  • Taco seasoning – I like to use a store bought spice blend to reduce the prep time as you don’t need to individually measure a bunch of spices. You can however make your own taco spice mix if you prefer, I’ve got the details for that in the recipe notes.
  • Vegetable stock – Being a slow cooker recipe, we don’t need a lot of liquid but the stock is going to be absorbed by the lentils and give the dish extra flavour. You could however just use water if that’s all you had.

Feel free to play around with what you use in this chilli and make it your own! You can also use diced capsicum if you have any. If you like things spicy, you can also add a chopped jalapeno or some extra chilli powder.

Equipment and Tools

This section may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission on any purchase made with no extra cost to you. If you’re considering purchasing on Amazon I’d be so grateful if you would do so by first clicking one of these links. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Philips all in one cooker available on Amazon.

Slow Cooker / Multi Cooker – I replaced my slow cooker with the Philips All In One as it also functions as a pressure cooker so I get a lot more use out of it.

Overhead of a bowl of vegan chilli with all the toppings.

Step-By-Step Instructions

To make this vegetarian chilli you will of course need a slow cooker. You can use either a regular slow cooker, or the slow cook function on your multi-cooker which is what I’ve done. I have the Philips All in One Pressure Cooker which has both high and low slow cooker functions.

The prep involved in this recipe is to chop your onion and garlic and then rinse and drain your beans. From there, you just start dumping everything into your slow cooker and give it a good mix to combine.

All ingredients for vegan chilli dumped into a slow cooker.
All ingredients mixed together in a slow cooker.

Pop on the lid and set your timer for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. And that is it!

This recipe honestly is so easy and once the timer is up, just give it a big mix again and then taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

From there, it’s up to you how to serve it!

Finished chilli in a slow cooker with a wooden spoon.

How to serve vegan chilli

While this chilli is amazing on it’s own, you can have fun with how you serve it.

  • With all the toppings! Vegan sour cream or plain yoghurt, vegan cheese, avocado and a little coriander (cilantro) if you’re into that.
  • With corn chips. Honestly this is my favourite because who doesn’t love scooping up that chilli with a crunchy, salty chip?!
  • Stretch this chilli even further by serving it with rice. Try my rice cooker mexican rice!

Freezing and storing instructions

This vegan chilli will last in the fridge for 4-5 days no worries and freezes very well for up to three months.

This is one of those recipes that get’s better with age as the flavours develops making it perfect for meal prep!

To reheat, let it defrost in the fridge overnight or heat directly from frozen in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove.

Close up of vegan chilli with toppings of vegan sour cream and avocado.

If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.

More Vegan Dinner Recipes:

Vegan Mac and Cheese
One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Golden Turmeric Sweet Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Vegan Chilli

This really is the best vegan chilli recipe made from pantry staple ingredients and only 10 minutes of prep! A hearty mix of beans, vegetables and lentils are dumped into a slow cooker making it perfect for meal prepping. The result is a thick, filling and deeply satisfying vegetarian dinner.
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Sally

Equipment

  • slow cooker
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 onion peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • 2 x 400 gram cans tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 x 400 gram can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 x 400 gram can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 x 400 gram can corn drained
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 x 30 gram pack taco seasoning
  • 2 cups vegetable stock

Optional Toppings

  • avocado
  • tortilla chips
  • vegan sour cream or plain yoghurt
  • vegan cheese

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in the base of a slow cooker and stir everything together. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
  • Once cooked, give the chilli a good stir and serve as is or with vegan sour cream or yoghurt, sliced avocado, vegan cheese and tortilla chips if desired.

Notes

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Taco seasoning: you can make your own taco seasoning by combining ½ tablespoon chilli powder, ½ tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika,1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. 

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1491mg | Potassium: 974mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.

Have you made this recipe?Leave a comment and a rating below and tag your creations with #eightforestlane on Instagram!
Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide

This post was originally published on the 5th April 2020 and has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

  • Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
  • Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
  • Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
  • Corned Beef Tacos

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Terri Miller says

    January 04, 2021 at 12:00 am

    Really tasty, fab recipe. How many calories are there per portion?

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 04, 2021 at 6:20 am

      Thanks Terri, happy to hear you enjoyed it! I don’t have calorie information sorry, but feel free to calculate it – there are many calculators available online. Thanks 🙂

  2. Jaimie says

    April 09, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Oh Sally this looks so warm and delicious. Can’t wait to give this a try – I am pretty sure I already have everything I need to make it!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 10, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      Perfect, hope you enjoy it!

  3. Andrea says

    April 07, 2020 at 11:40 am

    What a beautiful recipe! I adore lentils and this chilli is a great way to use them. A perfect, comforting meal that my whole family will love!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 10, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks Andrea, I hope they enjoy it!

  4. Robyn says

    April 06, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    This sounds absolutely perfect for now – comforting, healthy and packed with store cupboard ingredients! Can’t wait to make this very soon Sally!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 06, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Thanks Robyn, hope you enjoy it!

  5. Sylvie says

    April 06, 2020 at 10:29 am

    What a delicious looking meal, I love the use of lentils instead of mince! Would make a perfect Autumn day dinner for sure 🙂

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 06, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      It’s perfect for those cozy days indoors!

  6. Gavin says

    April 06, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Ooooohhhh lentil chili – packed with all good things with maximum taste to boost. This is defo a good alternative for the many meat dishes we eat

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 06, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      So true, and I really didn’t miss the meat in this dish.

  7. Megan Ellam says

    April 06, 2020 at 8:55 am

    Thanks Sally for the perfect recipe when ingredients are tough to find.

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 06, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      It’s great to have recipes that use only pantry staples for times like this!

Hi! I’m Sally, and welcome to Eight Forest Lane! I’ve been dairy free for over 10 years, and I love sharing simple, tasty recipes that make cooking and baking easy, stress free, and fun for everyone! 

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