3 Bean Chili {Slow Cooker Recipe}

This easy vegan 3 bean chili is made simply in the slow cooker. This hearty no meat chili is the perfect recipe for Halloween, game day or a cool Fall night!

This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for content.

I love making chili in the slow cooker because it allows time for the flavors to develop and makes for a really delicious chili. It's also nice if you have a busy day ahead of you because it makes meal time a cinch. This chili is great for a party or get together and will hold up well for serving time.

Serve this hearty vegetarian chili with savory cornbread pudding, pizza bread or even a DIY sliced caramel apple bar!

Jump to:

• 🍅 Ingredients notes
• 📋 Substitutions and variations
• 🥑 Topping ideas
• 🔪 Step by step instructions
• ⭐ Expert tips
• 🥘 Alternative cooking methods
• ⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
• 🍅 More vegan recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🍅 Ingredients notes

• Beans - I like using cannellini beans or white kidney beans, along with dark kidney beans and black beans. Garbanzo beans, butter beans or pinto beans would also be great!
• Tomatoes - Diced canned tomatoes with italian seasoning give this chili some extra flavor. If you can't find those at your local grocery store, plain diced canned tomatoes can also be used. For added zip, use diced canned tomatoes with chilies!

📋 Substitutions and variations

• More veggies - Add a small bag of frozen corn or green beans, during the last hour of cooking time, for extra veggies.
• Spicy - Add a diced jalapeno or two for some extra spice.
• Meat - While this is meant to be a vegan chili, you can certainly add a pound of cooked ground beef or italian sausage to it or use your favorite plant based meat substitute!

🥑 Topping ideas

• sliced green onions or diced yellow onions
• chopped fresh cilantro
• sliced avocado
• tortilla or corn chips
• hot sauce or salsa
• shredded cheese (dairy or plant based)
• sour cream (dairy or plant based)
• corn bread or corn muffins

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, mince the garlic cloves and dice the onion and bell pepper. Add the vegetables, along with all of the other ingredients to the slow cooker.

Stir to combine everything together, cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Serve the chili warm, garnished with sliced green onions.

⭐ Expert tips

• This chili can be served right out of the slow cooker to make things easy and to help keep it warm. It can stay in the slow cooker on the warm setting for about 2-3 hours.
• If your slow cooker is large enough, double the recipe and freeze part of it for an easy dinner later.

🥘 Alternative cooking methods

Stovetop - Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes until they start to soften. Add in the minced garlic and saute for a minute more. Add in the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow the chili to simmer for 30-60 minutes until thickened.

⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions

This chili can be made ahead of time if needed. Cool the chili completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cooled chili can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frozen chili should be thawed completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Thawed chili can be warmed up in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop over medium low heat.

🍅 More vegan recipes

If you loved this vegan 3 bean chili recipe, check out these other vegan recipes that I know you will love too!

• Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
• Roasted Eggplant Spinach Pasta
• Herb Roasted Sliced Potatoes

📖 Recipe