Crock Pot Vegan Chili

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This hearty black bean butternut squash Crock Pot Vegan Chili is the perfect meal for any night of the week. Or make a big batch and enjoy it for game day with all the toppings you love. Super flavorful with a bit of spicy heat!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Beans ~ I like black beans in this crock pot vegan chili recipe. Use canned or pre-cooked beans, not dry beans.

You could use kidney beans or pinto beans, if you prefer.

Get more recipes with black beans here.

Butternut squash ~ Butternut squash goes so well with black beans. Diced pumpkin would also work.

Be sure to peel your squash and remove the seeds before chopping.

Learn more about this hearty orange veggie and get more butternut squash recipes here.

Diced tomatoes ~ Canned diced tomatoes are so versatile. They are always on my plant based grocery list. For this recipe, I like to use the fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles.

If you can’t find those particular tomatoes, you can use regular diced tomatoes and throw in a 4 ounce can of diced green chiles, too.

Veggies ~ Diced bell pepper and a cup of corn brings texture and flavor to this hearty slow cooker chili.

Broth ~ Look for low sodium vegetable broth so you can control the amount of salt that goes into the dish.

Spices ~ I keep the spices pretty simple in this dish. Chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. You can add some onion powder and/or garlic powder if you like.

Toppings ~ The toppings are the best part of a chili recipe. Everyone gets to customize their own bowl.

We like diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, crushed tortilla chips, and a big dollop of Southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing.

Other great options to top off your vegan chili: diced raw onion, squeeze of fresh lime juice, shredded dairy-free cheese, or diced jalapeño peppers.

A side of either sweet maple cornbread or spicy jalapeño cornbread is always a great idea, too!

How to make the recipe

This is such an easy recipe.

You simply add all the ingredients, except the corn, to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.

Add the corn and cook another 5 to 10 minutes or so to heat through.

Serve with your choice of toppings.

Storage/Freezing

Let the chili cool completely before storing any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

You can also freeze this crock pot vegan chili in a freezer-safe container or zip-top plastic bag for up to 3 months. Again, make sure to cool it completely before transferring to the freezer.

Pro tips for success

~ Start with canned or pre-cooked beans. Do not use dried beans.

~ If using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans.

~ Dice the butternut squash into even bite-size chunks.

~ If you can’t find canned fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles, use a can of fired roasted tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of diced green chiles.

~ If you don’t like spicy chili, use regular diced tomatoes, not fire-roasted, and leave out the green chiles.

~ We like green bell peppers in this chili, but you can use any color of sweet bell pepper, like red, yellow or orange.

~ Customize individual bowls with the toppings of your choice!

~ The flavors get better the longer it sits. Leftovers are amazing, so make a big batch and eat it all week!

~ This Crock Pot Vegan Chili is dairy free, gluten free, nut free and oil free!

FAQs

More vegan chili recipes

• Vegan Taco Chili
• Chickpea White Chili
• Garden Vegetable No Bean Chili
• Black Bean Quinoa Chili
• Vegan Cincinnati Chili

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

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For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!