Slow Cooker Vegan Chili

It’s so nice to come home at the end of the day and smell this…

I’ve been loving the slow cooker lately.

And I had a hankering for chili!

Slow cookers and chili making just go hand in hand.

With a bit of a time investment in the evening for taking care of the veggies, it comes together in about five minutes in the morning. This recipe uses canned or precooked beans, so you will need a little time in the evening when you get home to throw those in and let them heat up. Gives you a little time to make some cornbread to serve alongside if you like!

The only drawback that I see is that you won’t get to taste the chili while it’s cooking for seasoning (though, if you get it started before you’re ready to leave in the morning, you could check your seasonings after the first hour of cooking and adjust as needed). That’s definitely not a deal-breaker though, especially if you know how you like your chili spiced.

Slow Cooker Vegan Chili

• 1 onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 2 poblano peppers, diced
• 3-4 jalapeño or serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you would prefer a milder chili)
• 1 package vegan ground beef/crumbles or 1 cup prepared TVP, optional (“meat”)
• 2 28oz cans (or boxes) of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs cumin
• 1 tsp – 1 tbs (to taste) chipotle chili powder
• a sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 can or 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 can or 2 cups cooked black beans

1. The night before (or in the morning, if there’s no time crunch), prep your veggies. Sautée the onion and garlic, either in a non-stick pan or in a cast iron pan with a small amount of oil (optional).
2. Add the “meat” to the pan to brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Add the cumin to the pan to toast, as well.
4. Package up the onion, garlic, and “meat” with spices and put in the fridge. Do the same with the peppers/chilis. You can sauté those as well, but it is not necessary.
5. In the morning, add everything to the slow cooker except for the beans. Set to cook on low for 5-6 hours.
6. In the evening, add the beans. Cook on high for 30 minutes to an hour to heat through. Make sure to taste for seasoning while you’re at it!
7. Garnish with vegan cheese, or scallions, or vegan sour cream or diced avocado or whatever else you enjoy.