Vegan Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili
on Nov 15, 2023, Updated Aug 02, 2024
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This vegan slow cooker red lentil chili is as easy as throwing everything in the slow cooker and turning it on.
You’ll love it for busy or slow days at home, just pop everything in the slow cooker and come back later to a hearty meal perfect for warming up on a cold day.
This tasty lentil chili makes a flavorful, nourishing meal that’s great for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
It’s easy to make in one pot, easy to customize with different veggies or extras like black beans and tastes even better the next day.
Enjoy your bowl of chili with all the best toppings like avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.
For more easy meatless meals the whole family will enjoy, how about trying this One-Pot Vegan Curried Sweet Potato Lentil Stew, Curried Chickpea Stew, Easy One Pot Vegan Lasagna Soup or Vegan One Pot Pasta with Kale and Mushroom?
Ingredient Notes
- Diced Tomatoes: Any brand of diced tomatoes. I like fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
- Onion: I usually use white or yellow onion but red onion is also fine.
- Spices: The blend of spices includes chili powder, cumin, paprika and oregano. I like to use smoked paprika for a smoky flavor. For spicy chili, you can add up to 1 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Note the recipe does already contain jalapeno but it’s not overly spicy as long as you remove the seeds.
- Bell Peppers: You can use green bell pepper, red bell pepper or any other colour. I like to mix and match different colors for variety.
- Red Lentils: This recipe is for red lentils though you can substitute brown or green lentils, just note it will have a different texture as red lentils are soft when cooked and green/brown stay firm and retain their shape .
- Vegetable Broth: Any store-bought or homemade broth, bouillon base or vegetable stock works.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste helps deepen the tomato flavor but if you’re in a pinch, you can substitute any tomato sauce.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is located in the recipe card below.
Additions & Variations
- Toppings: Avocado, tortilla chips, chilantro, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, lime juice, salsa.
- Beans: Mix in 1 or 2 cans of beans such as chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans for additional texture.
- Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potato works well in this recipe. Add up to 2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato.
- Serving: Serve with a toasted and butter bun or any bread for dipping.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Chop up the bell peppers, carrot, garlic, jalapeno and onion into small pieces and them to the crock pot.
Step 2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 3. Cook for 3 hours on high for 5-6 hours on low.
Enjoy hot with your favorite toppings like jalapeno, hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips or anything else you enjoy with chili.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Follow these instructions to make this recipe stovetop:
1. Saute the onions and garlic in a splash of broth for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a light simmer.
3. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and the chili is nice and thick.
Yes. Follow these instructions to make this recipe in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker:
1. Use the saute function to cook the onion, garlic and vegetables for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and seal the lid with the pressure valve turned to Sealing.
3. Use the High Pressure setting to cook for 7 minutes.
4. Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure, carefully open lid and enjoy.
Let cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat as needed in the microwave or stovetop until heated through.
Yes. You can substitute green or brown lentils in this recipe. It will have a different texture (green/brown lentils are firmer) and may require slightly longer cooking time.
Vegan Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced (approx. 2 cups or 300 g)
- 2 bell peppers, any colour, seeds removed and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced (about 1 cup chopped, 150 g)
- 1 jalapeño, de-seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tsp regular or smoked paprika
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with the juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 30 g
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth, 750 mL
- 2 cups dry red lentils, 370 g
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and mix well.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Cooking time does not need to be exact and may vary depending on your slow cooker.
- Serve right away with your favorite chili toppings such as avocado, vegan sour cream, dairy-free cheddar cheese, sliced green onion, salsa or a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on November 27, 2018.
Wonderful recipe! I ran out of chili powder, so I used taco seasoning which worked out well, but next time I’ll use chili powder. These days I only have the energy for super easy slow cooker or pressure cooker recipes and this one will be on repeat!
Plus, the pictures for this recipe literally made me want to make it 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. The chili is absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe precisely, except I cooked on low for seven hours instead of six. This is because after six hours on low the lentils were still a little crunchy. After seven hours they were cooked perfectly though. Thank you so much for sharing this superb recipe. I will be cooking this again.
So good.