When you think of slow cooker meals, vegetarian Crock-Pot recipes probably aren't the first things to come to mind. Crock-Pots (aka slow cookers) are known for their magical ability to slowly cook meat and chicken to perfection... they aren't known for cooking veggies to perfection. In truth, this is because a lot of veggies don't need to be cooked that long, but that doesn't mean they can't be. Please don't think that vegetarians can't take advantage of the wonder that is a slow cooker. They can and they should, and these recipes will prove that.
As a vegetarian myself, I love to use my slow cooker to make veg-friendly soups. Soups are ideal for this type of thing, because as they cook slowly, the flavors meld together more. While a soup or chili recipe is most popular when it comes to vegetarian Crock-Pot recipes, that certainly doesn't mean these are the only options. Use your slow cooker to create hearty and filling main dishes, breakfasts, and even smaller side dishes. Not only does it give you a delicious meal, it also makes your life easier: you can put everything together in the morning, let it cook throughout the day, and come home to dinner waiting for you. Yes, it's as good as it sounds.
Check out these vegetarian slow cooker recipes that are so good, even meat lovers will be into them. Seriously!
1. Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
Get ready to change the way you eat lasagna forever with this vegetarian recipe from Foodie Crush. With lasagna noodles, lots of veggies, and a ricotta cheese topping, it offers pretty much everything. Let it cook while you're working, and come home to enjoy dinner without all of the work.
2. Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
One of the most popular vegetarian soup recipes out there is black bean soup. Make this soup even easier by putting it together in your slow cooker with this recipe from A Spicy Perspective. It's warming, hearty, filling, and perfect for the cold weather.
3. Brown Butter Marinara Sauce
Making tomato sauce for Italian night at home is always a good option — except for those times you don't feel like doing any work. This sauce recipe from Half-Baked Harvest is as easy as they come. Put all your stuff in the Crock-Pot, let it sit for the day while you relax, then enjoy a classic Italian meal. It's like magic!
4. Banana Apple Coconut Curry
Looking for a unique meal that you can make in your slow cooker? Look no further. Oh She Glows has this recipe for sweet banana apple coconut curry. This is perfect for a cold winter day when you're dreaming about something more tropical.
5. Crock-Pot Risotto Milanese
Making risotto usually requires a lot of time and effort spent standing in front of the stove stirring — it's not that much fun. That's why it's amazing to find a Crock-Pot recipe for risotto, as this eliminates a lot of work. If you're looking for something simple and savory, try this recipe from A Pretty Life In The Suburbs — just use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.
6. Healthy Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash won't be in season for much longer, so take advantage of it while you can! This healthy butternut squash soup recipe from A Spicy Perspective is perfect for lunch or dinner, and is exactly what you'll need after a long day.
7. Vegan Red Beans And Rice
If you're looking for something flavorful and rich that doesn't take up a lot of time, this vegan red beans and rice recipe from Back To Her Roots is here for you. This spicy dish will keep you feeling cozy, and it's so filling and hearty you won't even miss meat.
8. Tomato, Kale, And Quinoa Soup
A good kale soup recipe is a basic necessity for any vegetarian, and you can honestly never have too many options. This kale soup recipe from Damn Delicious uses tomatoes, quinoa, and white beans to keep things healthy, hearty, and filling.
9. Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry
Why order Indian food when you could make an Indian-inspired dish at home? Better yet, why buy it when you could put it together and come home to the finished meal waiting for you? This veggie curry from A Spicy Perspective makes great use of winter staples like sweet potatoes.
10. Slow Cooker Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
It's not often that you find slow cooker side dish recipes, especially vegetarian ones. This recipe from Damn Delicious makes excellent use of Brussels sprouts — cooking them slowly in balsamic vinegar makes them taste less bitter. Mix this with rice or quinoa for a light dinner.
11. Crock-Pot Tortilla Soup
Finding a tortilla soup recipe that doesn't include chicken is kind of a miracle, and finding one that can be made over time in a Crock-Pot is even more of a blessing. This recipe from Fo Reals Life uses the comforting flavors of traditional tortilla soup to make a veggie lover's dream, basically.
12. Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Honestly, this soup looks so delicious that I'm tempted to put it together right now. Yes, this veggie minestrone from Two Peas And Their Pod requires a decent amount of prep time, but then it makes up for it. You can come home to some delicious soup that's all ready, and you can impress everyone you make it for.
13. Guacamole Soup
What's better than guac and chips? Guacamole soup! OK, fine, maybe that's not one hundred percent accurate, but soup made from rich avocados is definitely still delicious. Try this healthy guacamole soup recipe from A Spicy Perspective if you're looking for something a little different. Who knew you could put avocados in a slow cooker, huh?
14. Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oats
Slow cookers aren't just for dinner — they can make your mornings a lot easier as well. This overnight oatmeal recipe from Table For Two allows you to wake up to a warm breakfast without having to rush around like crazy to make it. Putting apples in a slow cooker turns them into the best kind of mush that you'll want to have every single day.
15. Slow Cooker Spanish Rice
Finding great side dishes that are super easy to put together is part of being a cook (at least, to me it is). This Spanish rice from Taste and Tell is so simple: just put all of the ingredients in your Crock-Pot, let them cook together for a few hours, and it's easy! Use this as a side dish, or add something else to it to make it an entree.
16. Potato Corn Chowder
Potato soup and corn chowder are both ridiculously delicious on their own, so combining them together is obviously a great idea. This is the perfect comfort food after a long, stressful day. This recipe from Damn Delicious is super simple, and while it does ask for chicken stock, I've always found that substituting vegetable broth is a quick fix.
17. Quinoa Tortilla Soup
This quinoa tortilla soup recipe from Making Thyme For Health reminds me of a cross between vegan chili and traditional chicken tortilla soup (without the chicken, of course). Quinoa and black beans make this more filling and substantial, while lots of spices and jalapenos give it a ton of flavor.
18. Butternut Squash Tortellini
Butternut squash is a great way to make a healthier, lighter dish feel more like heavy comfort food. When made in a slow cooker with pasta, it can create a creamy sauce that feels much more indulgent than it is. This recipe from Mel's Kitchen is a perfect way to use butternut squash before it's out of season.
For more ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.
Images: Foodie Crush; A Spicy Perspective; Half-Baked Harvest; Oh She Glows; A Pretty Life In The Suburbs; A Spicy Perspective; Back To Her Roots; Damn Delicious; A Spicy Perspective; Damn Delicious; Fo Reals Life; Two Peas And Their Pod; A Spicy Perspective; Table For Two; Taste and Tell; Damn Delicious; Making Thyme For Health; Mel's Kitchen
