Looking for vegan and vegetarian slow cooker recipes to nourish you this autumn and winter? I’ve got 25 delicious recipes right here for you to try!
Of all the appliances in my kitchen, it’s my slow cooker that I love the most (my air fryer comes a close second!). We use it at least three days a week, and there’s nothing quite like that smug feeling of sitting at work at 10 am knowing that dinner is all taken care of.
What I also love is that the average slow cooker costs considerably less than an oven to run. In fact, it comes in as the cheapest kitchen appliance to run.
Ideal Home found that in 2024, it cost 35p to run a slow cooker for 8 hours, while an oven cost 34p for just 20 minutes. Given that you need to warm your oven up for about 15 minutes before you cook, we’re talking about considerable savings here.
Despite this, before buying our slow cooker, we were on the fence about buying one for ages because we wondered just how much use we would get out of it. Apparently, the average UK household has £415 worth of unused cooking gadgets and utensils in their kitchen. I didn’t want my slow cooker to add to this statistic!
What made me so wary about purchasing a slow cooker was that the majority of slow cooker recipes I came across were meat-based. As such, I spent some time doing a little research into vegan and vegetarian slow cooker recipes. I feel like I hit the jackpot – I had so many bookmarks!
In fact, I found so many great recipes that I thought it would be useful to share them all here with you, in case you have a slow cooker or are considering buying one.
25 Tasty Vegan & Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
Here are 25 vegan and vegetarian slow cooker recipes that will nourish you and keep you going all autumn and winter! I plan on trying each and every one of them!
1. Vegan Slow Cooker Sausage Creamy Potato Soup
For a cosy and comforting midweek meal, this Vegan Slow Cooker Sausage Creamy Potato Soup recipe by Plantifully Based is the one to try. It takes three hours in the slow cooker and requires only a small amount of blending.
2. Vegan Madras Lentils
These vegan and vegetarian-friendly Madras Lentils from Peas & Crayons are so tasty. It takes four hours to cook in the slow cooker, and the recipe makes six large portions, which can be frozen to be enjoyed later.
3. Vegan Mexican Quinoa Tacos
If you weren’t feeling hungry before, you will be now. These vegetarian Mexican Quinoa Tacos by Chelsea’s Messy Apron look amazing! They could also easily be made vegan by substituting some of the additional ingredients (mainly the toppings).
They take four hours to make and need to be cooked on high, as the quinoa needs a higher heat to cook. Save these for the weekend, for a Saturday night feast!
4. Vegetarian Enchilada Orzo
Did you know you can cook pasta in the slow cooker? Oh yes! This vegetarian Enchilada Orzo from Damn Delicious is deliciously creamy. It takes eight hours to make, so pop this one before you head out to work for a treat to come home to.
5. Vegan Taco Soup
In the mood for a bit of spice? This Vegan Taco Soup from Peas & Crayons is one to try. You can customise it with different toppings so that you never get bored. It takes around five hours in the slow cooker and can be frozen for up to three months.
6. Vegetarian Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
A slow cooker recipe guide needs a minestrone soup because is it even autumn if there isn’t any minestrone? I’ve bookmarked this Vegetarian Minestrone Soup from Little Spice Jar. It takes four hours to make and makes eight portions.
Just remember to swap the Parmesan for a vegetarian hard cheese to make it vegetarian. It’s a pet peeve of mine that people forget that Parmesan isn’t vegetarian, yet claim their dish is vegetarian. It’s something to watch out for, particularly in restaurants.
7. Vegetarian Potato & Corn Chowder
I’ve never had chowder before, but I’m very into the idea of this Potato and Corn Chowder from Damn Delicious. Just substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. It takes eight hours to make in the slow cooker and makes eight servings.
8. Vegan Jambalaya
I’ve never had jambalaya before, but now I want some so bad, thanks to this Vegan Jambalaya from Connoisseurus Veg! Packed with a spicy mixture of rice, red beans and peppers.
It takes around seven hours in the slow cooker, but it does need a bit of attention for the last hour or so, so do bear in mind it’s not one you can leave to do its thing.
It makes around eight portions, and leftovers can be frozen for up to three months.
9. Vegetarian Aubergine Parmesan
This vegetarian Aubergine Parmesan from Wendy Polisi looks absolutely delicious and does not look like you made it in the slow cooker! Just make sure you use vegetarian hard cheese to make sure it’s veggie-friendly.
I always thought something like this would be tricky to make, but Wendy makes it look so easy! It takes around eight hours to make and makes twelve portions.
10. Vegetarian Quinoa & Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
These vegetarian Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers from Pinch of Yum look absolutely amazing. I would not have thought you could make something like this in a slow cooker, but there you go! It takes around four hours to cook and makes six peppers.
11. Vegan Coconut Quinoa Curry
This vegan Coconut Quinoa Curry from Simply Quinoa is packed full of sweet potato, broccoli, chickpeas and quinoa for a nourishing treat. Pop everything in and come back four hours later to a fully cooked meal. It makes eight portions, and leftovers can be frozen for later.
12. Vegetarian Chilli Macaroni
I love chilli, and I love macaroni, but I have never thought to combine the two. What have I been doing for all these years?! I’m trying this vegetarian slow-cooker recipe for Chilli Macaroni from Kristine’s Kitchen ASAP!
It takes just four hours to cook – you add the pasta in the last 15 minutes to avoid it going soggy – and the recipe makes six portions.
Looking for a vegan version? Try this vegan chilli mac from Easy Chickpeasy.
13. Vegetarian Slow Cooker Lasagna
Did you know you can make lasagne in a slow cooker? I did not know this, so I’ve added this Veggie Crockpot Lasagna from Pinch of Yum to my ever-growing list of things to cook! This takes up to six hours to cook and yields nine portions.
14. Vegan Slow Cooker White Quinoa Chilli
Craving something nourishing and comforting? This vegan-friendly white quinoa chilli by Simply Quinoa is made with cannellini beans and creamy cashew milk, and packed full of vegetables. It takes just over five hours to make and serves six.
15. Vegan Slow Cooker Peanut Tofu Broccoli
Looking for something a bit different to soups and stews? Try this vegan-friendly peanut tofu broccoli recipe from Six Vegan Sisters. It takes two hours to cook and serves four. Serve with rice or noodles for a tasty lunch or dinner.
16. Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Stew
This vegan Moroccan chickpea stew from Simply Quinoa is perfect for cold, grey days when you feel like you need some spice! It takes four hours in the slow cooker and makes six portions.
17. Vegan Pumpkin, Chickpea & Lentil Curry
If you’re looking for ways to use up pumpkin, then this pumpkin, chickpea and lentil curry from Kitchen Treaty is a great recipe to make. It takes around eight hours to make and serves six.
18. Vegan Potato & Cauliflower Curry
Another comforting dish is this potato and cauliflower curry recipe from Half Baked Harvest. It’s packed full of potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, and warming spices for a yummy plant-based dinner. It takes around five hours to make in the slow cooker and serves six.
19. Vegan Lasagne Soup
Lasagne soup? Say what? Connoisseurus Veg has put together this vegan slow cooker recipe for this hearty soup that has all the taste of lasagne but in a soup format. I am in! It takes up to two hours to make, serves six, and can be frozen for up to three months.
20. Slow Cooker Dal
I love a good dal, and this vegan split pea dal recipe from BBC Food looks like a good one to have in your slow cooker recipe repertoire. It takes around four hours to make, and can be frozen for up to two months.
21. Slow Cooker Veggie Bolognese
BBC Food also has an easy recipe for vegan and vegetarian-friendly slow cooker bolognese. Serve it with spaghetti, or you can easily turn it into a veggie lasagne, pasta bake or cottage pie. It takes between 4 and 8 hours in the slow cooker (with a little bit of prep work beforehand), and makes six generous portions.
22. Slow Cooker Leek & Potato Soup
If you’re looking for something seriously comforting, try this vegetarian slow cooker leek and potato soup recipe from Taming Twins. It’s quick, cheap, and easy to make – taking around 2 hours.
23. Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala
This vegan slow cooker tofu tikka masala from Ambitious Kitchen looks and sounds absolutely amazing. It looks so good for you, and so tasty that I want to make this ASAP! It’s also really easy – there are only three steps.
24. Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Want to make a big batch of homemade baked beans? Try this vegetarian slow cooker recipe, again, from Ambitious Kitchen. It takes around three hours to cook, and then the beans can be frozen for up to three months. Depending on the brand of beans you buy, it could work out cheaper than buying shop-bought beans.
25. Vegan Peanut Stew
Finally, this Peanut Stew by The Girl On Bloor is another interesting slow cooker dish. Made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes and peanut butter, it’s sure to warm you up on the chilliest of days. It takes around four hours to cook and serves six.
More Plant-Based Recipe Inspiration
And other favourites I’ve missed? Let me know! And if you’re looking for more plant-based recipe inspiration, try my vegan lime and coconut curry – it’s one of my favourites. You can also try my vegan sweet potato, chilli, and coconut soup recipe – also super tasty!
Sign Up For The Moral Fibres Substack
Get all the latest articles from Moral Fibres straight to your inbox, once a month, free of charge through Substack. You can also upgrade to be a paid Substack subscriber, where you’ll receive an additional two exclusive articles a month. Sign up now:
