forget it, the easy and filling clay pot vegetarian chili recipe is nutritious and full of flavor! This vegan and vegetarian slow cooker chili recipe is ready for the future and is freezer friendly. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.
Pure comfort food during the coldest seasons of the year, what could be more satisfying than vegetarian chili in the clay pot? It’s super simple to put together, it’s ready in advance, and it will amaze even your meat-eating friends and family!
Texas Roots
This was one of the many recipes I started working on after quitting meat a long time ago. Growing up in Texas, chili was a staple in every kitchen. In restaurants, it’s common on menus, served stacked with toppings or on burgers, fries, nachos, hot dogs, and the beloved Texas Fried Cake (have you tried it?).
A plant-based chili was unheard of in the past. But it didn’t take long to realize that a hearty vegan chili is suitable for even the most meat-loving chili connoisseurs. This hearty slow-cooked vegan chili has a rich spice base similar to its meat-based siblings and a rich, full-bodied texture.
<img src="https://vanillaandbean.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chili-4-680×1020.jpg" alt="Cutting onions on a cutting board preparing to make chili." /
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe Ingredients
Heavy on spices, heat can be taken up or down. Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy vegetarian chili crockpot recipe (see recipe card below for full details):
- Dried beans such as black beans, pinto beans or optionally red beans – **Updated: see FDA notice on not cooking dried beans in slow cooker in recipe notes **
- Red onion
- – green or use poblano pepper
- Fresh Garlic Spices
- : Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Ground Pepper, Salt, Laurel
- Chili Jalapeños
- (Optional)
- Fire Diced Toasted Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste Lime
- Masa Harina A
pepper
Chipotle
variety of chili peppers enriches the flavor profile of this slow-cooked vegan chili. The masa harina thickens the chili, gives it body and offers a mild corn flavor. If masa harina is a new territory, I encourage you to try it! I’ve linked to other recipes where I use it on the prescription card.
<img src="https://vanillaandbean.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chili-6-680×1020.jpg" alt="Vegan chili ingredients in a ready-to-cook clay pot." /
Quick Guide: How to Make Vegetarian Chili from Clay Pot
For this vegan bean chili, you can use soaked or unsoaked dried beans (updated: except beans**). I found the cooking time window to be close either way. Slowly cooked chili maximizes flavor because the spices and seasonings are concentrated. In short, here’s how to make this easy clay pot vegetarian chili recipe (see recipe card below for full details):
- First, soak or not soak the beans. Soaking is optional (except for beans; according to the FDA, beans must be soaked and boiled**). Sometimes I get soaked, sometimes I forget. There is not much difference in cooking time.
- Secondly, to the clay pot, add the chopped onion, pepper and dried beans (soaked or unsoaked).
- Third, add garlic, spices, peppers, tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir.
- Next, cover the pot and set the stove to high heat.
- Finally, about 15 minutes before serving, make a suspension with the flour dough and pour it into the pot. Cover again and heat well.
Share this hearty very hot slow cooking vegetarian chili with cornbread and all your favorite condiments.
<img src="https://vanillaandbean.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chili-10-680×1020.jpg" alt="Vegetarian
Frequently Asked Questions about Vegetarian
Chili 
Some recipe notes
- Although this recipe is vegan and vegetarian, it can be shared with a variety of condiments such as avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, scallions, chopped onions, sour cream or shredded cheddar cheese. Keep it dairy-free by omitting cheese and sour cream.
- My favorite side to share with this slow-cooked vegetarian chili recipe is the cornbread and sliced avocado. Corn tortillas are a good addition without cornbread if time is short. Try my jalapeno cheddar cornbread or gluten-free cornbread recipe.
- The time to cook this clay pot vegetarian chili varies depending on the age of the bean, the older the bean, the longer it will cook. It’s possible that a bean could be so old and dry that it won’t cook, although I haven’t experienced this. I don’t recommend eating undercooked beans. Temperature variations vary between slow cookers. Be sure to refer to the manufacturer’s owner’s manual regarding the cooking time of beans. Use the cooking time in this recipe as a guide.
- I have made this recipe for vegetarian chili from clay pot with soaked and unsoaked beans. If using soaked beans, reduce the amount of water by about 1/2 C. Adjust as needed.
- Freezer friendly? Yes, please! This recipe freezes easily. Simply cool the chili and then store it in the freezer. Defrost the refrigerator overnight and gently reheat on the stove.
**UPDATE: I’ve been cooking dried beans (including kidney) in a slow cooker for 20+ years without any ill effects, but after a reader alerted me to a raw, undercooked bean toxin, I updated this recipe with notes. Feel free to use a mixture of black beans and pintos and skip the beans. Just because you haven’t experienced adverse problems, doesn’t mean there’s no chance for others to experience it. See page 254 in the FDA’s Book of Bad Errors for more information.
More vegetarian and vegan chili recipes to love the
- vegetarian hot dish Tater Tot
- Pumpkin Two Bean
- Foolproof Living
- Vegetarian Chili by Green Valley Kitchen
Chili Vegan Chili by
