Vegetarian chili in the slow cooker is the tastiest way to get a serving full of nutrient-rich veggies, and it’s hearty enough to satisfy the meat-eaters, too! It’s packed with flavor and creates a complete, filling meal. Assemble it in minutes and it will be ready in just a few hours.

Large bowl of vegetarian chili served with saltine crackers

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

This is a vegetarian meal that is hearty, filling, and provides enough protein for a complete meal. Even the meat lovers will enjoy this one!
Vegetarian chili is a great option for any veggies that you need to use up from your fridge. By using a combination of fresh, frozen, and canned ingredients, you can throw a delicious chili together easily!
This is a very flexible recipe for whatever your family likes. It is delicious served with various toppings and sides like crackers, chips, or cornbread. Everyone can customize a bowl just how they prefer.
This is an excellent recipe for the slow cooker that can be done in just a few hours. It doesn’t take long to toss it together in the slow cooker, especially if you are using frozen and already chopped veggies.
Many hearty vegetarian recipes rely on meat substitutes to get enough protein and flavor. This recipe contains whole ingredients that taste delicious and provide a healthy mix of nutrients!

Ingredients Needed

This ingredient list includes a mix of fresh, frozen, and canned veggies. It’s so versatile because you can swap out what you have on hand or customize it with your favorite ingredients!

All the fresh veggies will need to be diced and seeded as necessary.

Small yellow sweet onion – Yellow onion is slightly sweet. Dice this into small pieces.
Garlic – Add some jarred minced garlic for convenience and rich flavor.
Green bell pepper – Remove the seeds and dice the green pepper into small, bite-sized pieces. Don’t love green pepper? Swap it for your favorite colored pepper!
Jalapeño pepper – Seed and dice a jalapeño pepper to add a little bit of heat to the chili. It will still be mild enough for everyone to enjoy.
Zucchini squash – Zucchini adds bulk and texture to the chili. Quarter it lengthwise, then dice it into small pieces.
Frozen butternut squash – Butternut squash is not an easy one to prep in a time crunch, plus it’s challenging to find in the store out of season. I love keeping a bag of frozen, cubed butternut squash on hand to add some sweet flavor and heartiness to the chili.
Canned northern beans – Adding a can of beans is a great way to up the protein in vegetarian meals. Drain and rinse, and add to the slow cooker!
Vegetable broth – Broth will add a flavorful base to the chili.
Tomatoes – You will add 2 different types of canned tomatoes to create a rich flavor and add some texture to the broth base. Use 1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes for a hint of smokiness and 1 can of crushed tomatoes to thicken the overall texture.
Seasonings – A combination of spices from your pantry will bring the meal together with a classic chili flavor – complete with a hint of smoky warmth. Combine chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and chipotle chili powder.

On a counter, a collection of ingredients including 1 small yellow sweet onion, diced; 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic; 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced; 1 zucchini squash, quartered and diced; 12 oz frozen butternut squash; 15 oz canned northern beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup vegetable broth; 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes; 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder.

How To Make Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

After prepping the veggies, the steps are super simple!

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Ingredients in a slow cooker, including diced yellow sweet onion, jarred minced garlic, seeded and diced green bell pepper, seeded and diced jalapeno pepper, quartered and diced zucchini squash, frozen butternut squash, canned northern beans, vegetable broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and chipotle chili powder.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Cooking in a slow cooker, including diced yellow sweet onion, jarred minced garlic, seeded and diced green bell pepper, seeded and diced jalapeno pepper, quartered and diced zucchini squash, frozen butternut squash, canned northern beans, vegetable broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and chipotle chili powder

pro Tips

Prep chopped veggies earlier in the day or a day ahead and make the assembly even easier when it comes time to cook!
If you don’t have ancho and chipotle chili powders, or prefer to keep the seasoning mild, you can swap them for regular chili powder.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Customize the seasonings to your preferences. Some options are to reduce the overall chili powder or reduce ancho chili powder for a less smoky flavor. You can omit chipotle chili powder if you’d like a little less spice and increase for more!
I love northern or navy beans, but you can use other canned beans such as black beans, Pinto Beans, or kidney beans.
Use regular or fire-roasted tomatoes, or combine them like I did for a nice balance.
If you like thicker chili, use a little less broth or add a little cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch mixed with water).
You can also add leftovers that you might have in the fridge or freezer. Another delicious option is to slice the leftovers off of Corn On The Cob.

Slow cooked with cooked vegetarian chili including diced yellow sweet onion, jarred minced garlic, seeded and diced green bell pepper, seeded and diced jalapeno pepper, quartered and diced zucchini squash, frozen butternut squash, canned northern beans, vegetable broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and chipotle chili powder.

How To Serve Vegetarian Chili

Serve a hot bowl of veggie chili with any (or all!) of your favorite toppings and mix-ins. I like to add crushed tortilla chips to my bowl, along with a little shredded cheese and sour cream.

Here are other tasty toppings and sides to include:

Avocado and fresh cilantro
Diced green onions
Fresh-baked cornbread
Tortilla or corn chips
Crackers
Baked potatoes – serve the chili over a baked potato or have a buttered potato on the side

If you want to add some extra carbs, a bowl of veggie chili would also be delicious with a scoop of cooked brown rice or quinoa!

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave or on the stove. Leftover veggie chili is also great for freezing in individual portions for quick, healthy meals later. Let it cool completely, then add individual portions to freezer-safe bags or Souper Cubes and freeze for up to 3 months.