Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe (Three-Bean Chili)

This slow cooker vegetarian chili recipe is a hearty meatless meal built around three kinds of beans, colorful vegetables, and familiar chili spices. The slow-cooker method keeps the preparation simple: dice the vegetables, rinse the beans, add everything to the crock, and cook it on low or high before serving with your preferred toppings.

Chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans give the chili plenty of texture, while red and yellow bell peppers bring color and a mild sweetness. Jalapeños add pepper flavor that you can make gentler or hotter by deciding how much of the light-colored centers and seeds to keep. The finished chili is filling enough for a casual dinner and substantial enough to bring to a cookout.

With 5 minutes of preparation, a low setting of 7 to 8 hours or a high setting of 3 to 4 hours, and a total time of 8 hours 5 minutes, this is an easy crockpot meal. The recipe yields 4 servings, with each serving measuring 2 cups.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Three kinds of beans give it body. Chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans add texture to this vegetarian chili.

The pepper combination is easy to adjust. Red and yellow bell peppers add a colorful vegetable base, and jalapeños provide a more pronounced pepper flavor. Removing the light-colored insides and seeds reduces the heat while keeping the jalapeño in the recipe. For a hotter chili, leave some of those parts attached.

The ingredients are familiar and easy to find. Canned tomatoes and beans pair with fresh minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and a small amount of cayenne. The recipe uses fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, and the seasoning stays in the classic chili lane without relying on hard-to-find ingredients.

The slow cooker does the heavy lifting. Once the onion, peppers, jalapeños, beans, tomatoes, garlic, and spices are prepared, they all go into one crock and cook together.

Equipment

Gather a knife, measuring spoons, a can opener, a spoon, and a slow cooker. Equipment examples include a Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker and an Anolon Japanese Stainless Steel Knife Set with Sheaths.

Ingredients

• 1 onion: Use a white or yellow onion.
• 2 bell peppers: Use 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, although any bell pepper color works.
• 3 jalapeños: Remove the light-colored centers and seeds for less heat. If you are very concerned about spiciness, use 2 jalapeños; for more heat, leave some of the centers and seeds attached.
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes: Two 15-ounce cans can be used instead.
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed: Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed.
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic: Fresh minced garlic supplies the fresh garlic flavor used in this chili.
• 2 tablespoons chili powder.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt: Sea salt can also be used.
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder: Add more if you want more heat.
• 1 teaspoon cumin: This classic chili spice rounds out the seasoning.

How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Dice the vegetables and prepare the jalapeños according to the heat level you want before adding everything to the slow cooker.

1. Dice the vegetables. Dice the onion and bell peppers. Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to scoop out the light-colored center and seeds. Dice the remaining green part. Discard the centers and seeds if you want less heat, or leave some attached for a spicier chili.
2. Add everything to the crock. Put the diced onion, bell peppers, and jalapeños into the crock of a slow cooker. Add the diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans. Add the minced garlic, chili powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin.
3. Stir to combine. Stir the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and seasonings together.
4. Cook the chili. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Prep time is 5 minutes, and total time is 8 hours 5 minutes.
5. Serve with toppings. Spoon the chili into bowls and finish with sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onions, or any other favorite chili toppings.

Tips for Success

• Set the heat before the chili cooks. The jalapeño’s white or light-colored insides and seeds are where its spiciness is. Remove them for a milder chili, or leave some attached for more heat.
• Use a small spoon for the jalapeños. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scoop out the centers and seeds before dicing the green part.
• Rinse all three kinds of beans. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans before adding them to the crock.
• Choose the bell pepper colors you have. Red and yellow peppers work well, but any color of bell pepper can be used.
• Keep the fresh garlic. Use 2 teaspoons of minced garlic rather than garlic powder for a fresh garlic flavor.
• Stir before cooking. Once the vegetables, tomatoes, beans, garlic, and spices are in the crock, stir to combine them.

Variations and Substitutions

Use a white or yellow onion, and choose any bell pepper color instead of limiting yourself to red and yellow. If you want a gentler jalapeño flavor, use 2 jalapeños and remove the light-colored insides and seeds. If you want more heat, keep some of those parts attached and add more cayenne than the 1/4 teaspoon in the ingredient list.

For the tomatoes, use one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes or two 15-ounce cans. Kosher salt is the standard choice here, but sea salt can be used instead. Use chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans for the three-bean combination.

Stovetop Option

To make the chili on the stovetop, start by sautéing the diced onion, bell peppers, and jalapeños until they begin to become tender. Add the tomatoes, drained and rinsed beans, garlic, chili powder, salt, cayenne, and cumin to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then simmer it together until the vegetables are soft.

How to Keep It Vegan

The chili is vegan when you do not add animal products as garnishes. Leave off cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Greek yogurt for a vegan serving.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing

For prep before cooking, dice the onion and peppers, prepare the jalapeños, and drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the crock. Add sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onions, or other favorite toppings after the chili is cooked and ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this three-bean chili as a meatless main dish in bowls with sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onions, or any favorite chili toppings. The recipe yields 4 servings, and each serving measures 2 cups.

For a vegan bowl, skip the dairy toppings. Serve the chili as a meatless main dish or at a casual cookout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What beans are in this vegetarian chili?

The recipe uses chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and black beans. Use one 15-ounce can of each, and drain and rinse all three before adding them to the slow cooker.

How can I make the chili less spicy?

Remove the light-colored centers and seeds from the jalapeños before dicing them. If you are especially sensitive to heat, use 2 jalapeños instead of 3. The ingredient list uses 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne.

How can I make it spicier?

Leave some of the jalapeño centers and seeds attached when you prepare the peppers. You can also add more cayenne if you want more heat.

Can I make this vegetarian chili on the stovetop?

Yes. Sauté the diced vegetables until they begin to become tender, add the rest of the ingredients, bring the chili to a simmer, and continue simmering until the vegetables are soft.

Is this chili vegan?

Yes, as long as you do not add animal products as garnishes. Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Greek yogurt are suggested toppings, so leave them off for a vegan serving.

How many servings does this recipe make?

The recipe yields 4 servings, with each serving measuring 2 cups.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition information is per serving and includes no garnishes. Final nutritional information depends on the ingredients used and any changes made.

• Calories: 233
• Total fat: 3g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Trans fat: 0g
• Unsaturated fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 706mg
• Carbohydrates: 43g
• Fiber: 13g
• Sugar: 7g
• Protein: 13g