An easy, affordable and delicious Slow Cooker Vegan Chili recipe

There’s a reason slow cookers are so readily associated with autumn: they’re perfect for creating low-maintenance and hearty meals, which is exactly what we all need when the weather gets cooler and the kids go back to school.

This vegan chili fits that very bill. Follow the recipe as-is and it’s an affordable, sustainable, and easy to prepare weeknight meal, or add any pre-cooked ground meat if you need it to go a little further. 

You’ll need a 6-quart slow cooker to accommodate these quantities. This recipe makes plenty of leftovers unless you’re feeding a crowd, and they freeze well for even quicker meals down the road. Those jalapeños pack plenty of heat, so go down to one or omit them entirely if your crew won’t tolerate it.

If you’d like to pair this with a robust red wine, you’ll find one of those and two more wines perfect for fall in this issue’s Decanting Digest on page 54 & 55.

Ingredients:

2 onions
4 cloves garlic
4 stalks celery plus a handful of celery leaves
3 bell peppers in a variety of colours
2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
1/4 c cooking oil
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
1 tbsp chili powder or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 10 oz cans beans (we chose black, white kidney, and pinto)
2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
Green onions and corn chips for garnish

Directions

Finely chop the garlic and set aside in a small bowl. Finely dice the onions, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeños (if using) and set aside in a medium bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet at medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and starting to brown, about 30 seconds. Add the remainder of the diced vegetables. Increase burner to medium-high and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are releasing less steam and are lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. (Sautéing the jalapeños may cause caustic vapours. If your space Is not well-ventilated or if you prefer, add these later with the rest of the ingredients.) Season with thyme, chili powder, salt and pepper, and sauté for one more minute. Pour the contents of the skillet into the crock of a 6- quart slow cooker.

Drain and rinse each can of beans and add to vegetable mixture. Add full contents of each can of tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the slow cooker, then turn it on to cook for eight hours on low or four hours on high.

Serve garnished with chopped green onions and crushed corn chips.
Makes 8 servings.

I used the Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Programmable Defrost Slow Cooker. It comes with a temperature probe, flexible time and temperature options, and works well for frozen meat, as it defrosts first, then cooks it until done. Best of all, it’s dishwasher safe.