Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili
This slow cooker red lentil chili is as easy as throwing everything in a crockpot and turning it on. Enjoy for a hearty, nourishing meal that’s great for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
Features
- dietary features: vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free
- perfect for meal prep and freezes well
- amazing topped with avocado, vegan sour cream, jalapeno, crushed tortilla chips or dairy-free cheese
- hearty, nourishing and full of flavour…even better the next day!
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
- diced tomatoes – any kind works but I love Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- chili spices – I used chili powder, cumin, paprika and oregano…the chili powder is essential but if you’re missing one of the others it’s ok
- bell peppers – any colour works
- lentils – this recipe is best with red lentils, however, you could use green or brown if needed, just note it will have a very different texture as red lentils are soft when cooked and green stay firm and retain their shape
- broth – any store-bought or homemade broth you like works, I used vegetable bouillon powder to make mine
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1. Chop up the bell peppers, carrot, garlic, jalapeno and onion and them to the crock pot.
Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 3. Cook for 3 hours on high for 5-6 hours on low.
Enjoy hot with your favourite chili toppings!
Topping Ideas
- avocado
- crushed tortilla chips
- fresh cilantro
- vegan sour cream
- dairy-free cheese
- sliced green onions
- queso sauce
- lime
- salsa
Stovetop Instructions
- Saute the onions and garlic in a splash of broth for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a light simmer.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and the chili is nice and thick.
Storing
- Let cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.
- If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat as needed in the microwave or stovetop until heated to your preference.
Did you try this recipe?
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I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure to tag me @runningonrealfood if you post it on social media.
Vegan Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan red lentil chili is so easy to make in a slow cooker. You’ll need less than 10 minutes of prep before throwing everything in the crock pot and forgetting about it until dinner time. So easy!
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 (30 g) tomato paste
- 3–4 cups (750 mL) vegetable broth
- 2 cups (370 g) dry red lentils
- 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.
- Serve right away with your favourite chili toppings such as avocado, vegan sour cream, dairy-free cheese, sliced scallions and salsa.
Notes
Start with 3 cups of broth. Check after 2 hours and see if you may need to add a little more. I’ve made it with as little as 2.5 cups and as much as 4. It just depends how thick you like it!
See post for stovetop instructions.
Customize: Mix in 1 or 2 cans of beans such as chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans for additional texture.
Let cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat as needed in the microwave or stovetop until heated to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 18 g
Keywords: slow cooker lentil chili, red lentil chili
Originally published on November 27, 2018.
Hi. I have a 3 litre crock pot. Will I need to adjust recipe for this size? Thank you
I don’t believe so. Thanks.
Amazing taste, packed full of healthy goodness, super quick and easy to make! Slow cooked for 6 hours.
★★★★★
Thanks, Sarah! Glad you liked it.
I made this in the slow cooker, but my carrots were crunchy and the lentils were still firm. I’m not sure that 3 hours was enough (on high, used 4 cups of broth). Maybe I’ll try cooking another hour and hope it helps. Otherwise it’s takeout for dinner tonight!
★★★
This was so delicious! I did it stove top. Cashew cream and avocado are musts as toppings. My belly can’t handle that many lentils, so I swapped one cup of the lentils for a 4 oz package of chopped baby spinach that I added at the end of cooking. Thank you!
★★★★★
Great idea! So glad you liked it. Thanks for leaving a review, I appreciate it!
This was a super easy recipe. It smelled great while it was cooking. I put it over some leftover rice I had in the fridge and it was delish.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it, Carry!
AWESOME!!! My new favorite chili! SO flavor-packed and easy. Will def be making again!
★★★★★
Man, this is good! Unfortunately, I evidently used old lentils. They kind of don’t cook right. But I’m eating it anyway.
★★★★★
Darn! That can happen with old lentils, unfortunately. I’m glad you enjoyed it still!
This looks really good. Do you have an adaption for the Instant Pot? I imagine it would be easy enough to do.
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I do red lentils for 9 min. So I’d saute the veggies then add everything else and do high pressure for 9 min then quick release. I haven’t tried it though!
I love this recipe! It’s super easy, delicious AND high in protein. It’s one of the first recipes I made after going plant-based and even my husband, who isn’t plant-based, loved it!
★★★★★