I've been making this smoky vegan crockpot chili every winter for years now because it's a lifesaver on weekdays. It's loaded with protein and fiber from lots of veggies and beans and smoky flavor from a handful of spices and herbs. Plus it couldn't be easier to make and I don't have to use any oil. Just throw together all the ingredients and let the slow cooker work its magic.
Table of Contents
Oil-free vegan slow cooker chili
I turn to chili ever so often during the cooler months because not only is it super comforting, it's also one of the easiest foods to make when you can't tear yourself away from your work desk or from the comfort of your couch. I have so many chili recipes on the blog and two of my favorites for ease of preparation are my vegan Instant Pot chili and this slow cooker chili.
There are so many reasons I love this chili recipe. For one, cooking the meatless chili in the crockpot builds delicious flavor and it makes the house smell like heaven all day. What's also great about this chili is that it's very, very customizable. I can add to it all the stragglers in the fridge - this time I had half a butternut squash, a bell pepper and a handful of mushrooms along with celery, carrots and onions. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes. And you can use any beans you have sitting in your pantry. My favorite combination is black beans and pinto beans, but you can use just one kind.
My best tip to make sure this vegan chili turns out as fabulous as it's meant to be is to season generously and to your taste. I add ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, oregano, and chili powder. The chili powder, which I make at home, has many of the same seasonings but it's made from whole, roasted spices and it enhances the smokiness of the chili.
When I first posted this recipe in 2013, it was part of a book review I did on Dr. Joel Furhman's "Eat to Live" cookbook. I've since made several tweaks to his original recipe while keeping it oil-free, and that's the version I'm sharing today.
The chili is soy-free, nut-free and vegan. This recipe makes four very hearty servings - perfect to slurp up for a satisfying dinner that won't leave you feeling heavy. Instead of sour cream and cheese, I top my chili bowl with avocados, onions and cilantro. You can also serve the chili over quinoa or brown rice if you're very hungry.
Perfection! I will definitely make this again!
-Lynn
Recipe card
Vegan Crockpot Chili (No Oil)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 3 stalks celery (finely diced)
- 1 medium carrot (finely diced)
- 1 bell pepper (any color, finely diced)
- ½ small butternut squash (about one pound, peeled and diced)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms (sliced)
- 3 medium tomatoes (diced, or use two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with all the juices)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups canned or cooked pinto beans (strained)
- 2 cups canned or cooked black beans (strained)
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all the vegetables in the crockpot - onions, celery, carrot, butternut squash, bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. Add the garlic.
- Add the pinto beans, black beans, water, paprika, cumin, coriander, chili powder and oregano. Mix and stir in salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on low for seven hours or on high for three hours. Mix and add more salt and pepper if needed before serving.
Notes
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes add sweetness to this recipe, and I prefer them to canned. But if you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, use canned, diced tomatoes.
- Beans: If you cook the beans from scratch, reserve the cooking water to use instead of water in the recipe.
- Chili powder: I strongly recommend using a homemade chili powder like this one for the best flavor. But you can also use your favorite store bought brand of chili powder.
Nutrition Information
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How to make vegan crockpot chili
Layer the vegetables
Place onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, butternut squash, mushrooms and garlic in crockpot.
Add beans and seasonings
Add the pinto beans, black beans, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano and chili powder to the crockpot.
Cook
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for seven hours or on high for three hours.
Serve
Ladle the chili into bowls and add optional toppings, including diced or sliced avocados, red onions and cilantro. Serve hot.
Vegan crockpot chili FAQs
Red kidney beans and black-eyed peas would both work nicely.
You absolutely can. There is so much flavor from the spices and herbs, you really don't need much salt or any salt at all.
Yes, but try and make sure you balance flavors so you have a mix of sweet vegetables like winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, spicy vegetables like bell peppers and onions, vegetables that have an astringent flavor like celery, turnips and green beans, and vegetables that add umami like mushrooms.
Vegetables, beans and spices all have small quantities of fat so this chili is not "fat-free." But it has no added oil and just 2 grams of total fat per serving.
Yes, you can freeze the chili for up to four months. It also can be stored in the fridge for four days after you make it. Reheat the chili until it's warmed through before serving.
First posted Dec. 31, 2013, updated and re-published on Feb. 6, 2026.
Lynn says
Omigosh. I made this today, & I was worried about the different number of veggies that were in here. I needn't have. It was good. I might add a little salt next time, but I had compliant corn muffins in the freezer, so I thawed a couple, cut them up and put them on the bottom of my bowl (as trained when growing up!) & poured the chili over it. Perfection! I will definitely make this again! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I love and respect Dr. Fuhrman!
Jane Wakefield says
My goal for 2015 is to be as helpful as I can to as many people as possible to help others reach their nutritional goals. As for me I plan on just eating more greens.
John Alexander says
I love chili, I love mushrooms, and I'm always looking for vegan versions of traditional dishes. I've been using Gardein with kidney beans, etc., for my recipe, but using mushrooms, which I eat tons of just roasted, is a great idea because I don't think the "fake meat" adds much to the flavor, and it's kind of expensive. What do you think of Gardein's products?
BTW, you have great blog: great recipes, great attitude, great writing. I'm a big fan!
Vaishali says
Hi John, thanks for your kind words, and welcome to Holy Cow!
I agree on the fake meat-- it rarely has the right texture to substitute for meat, and is almost always bland. I have used some Gardein products and while they are good enough as vegan substitutes, they too don't have the right texture. And yes, they are expensive which is definitely a consideration for me.
I often just use TVP chunks when I want a "meaty" texture in stews and curries and when vegetable substitutes like mushrooms or eggplant won't do. They also add a strong protein hit, they are relatively easy to find compared to other meat substitutes, and they are also fairly inexpensive.
Have a great weekend! 🙂
Maddalen says
Just posting once again ... I made this stew this AM with a few slight variations (cranberry beans, basil and much more hot peppers) - it was going to be for dinner, but hubby wanted some ... and he had seconds! SCORE! Thank you!
Vaishali says
Maddalen, your additions sound delicious. Glad you liked it!