8 Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipes For Meatless Mondays
Because slow-cooking isn’t just for hunks of meat.
Victor Protasio
We often use a slow-cooker to braise meat low and slow, like for pulled pork or brisket, but it’s also a fantastic appliance for vegetarian cooking. For example, beans cook beautifully in the slow-cooker, and sauces develop complex flavors. If you’re seeking vegetarian Crock Pot recipes, let this be your inspiration and guide. All you need to do is a little prep, and then you can walk away and return to a delicious Meatless Monday (or any night) dinner.
Related: 14 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes That Require Less Than 20 Minutes of Prep
Big-Batch Black Beans
A slow-cooker makes cooking dried beans a breeze; it’s a hands-off process, and the result is reliably tender and flavorful. Use these well-seasoned big-batch black beans in anything from burritos to tacos, to rice bowls and beyond.
Slow-Cooker Spinach Lasagna With Romaine Salad
You might not think to make lasagna in a slow-cooker, but it works, and we recommend it when cooking for a crowd. This meatless rendition is cheesy and decadent, with plenty of greens, too.
Slow-Cooker Deep Dish Pizza
If you don’t want to heat up your kitchen but you’re craving homemade pizza, try this method for slow-cooker deep-dish pizza. Parchment paper makes the pizza easy to lift from the vessel when it’s ready to eat.
Related: These 16 Pizza Recipes Are So Good, You'll Never Order In Again
Slow-Cooker Puttanesca With Roasted Broccolini
Okay, so this recipe isn’t technically vegetarian, but trust us: you can skip the sausage and anchovies and the result will be just as delicious. Thanks to an onion-caper-tomato mixture that bubbles away for six hours, the final product is a rich, deeply savory sauce to toss with pappardelle.
Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes
You don’t need meat to make a filling, comforting chili that’ll warm you from the inside out. This version includes black beans, kidney beans, sweet potato, and tons of spices, and tastes best when loaded up with fresh toppings like sour cream and radishes.
Red Curry Veggie Stew
Carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes make up the base of this meatless stew, which gets its bright, punchy flavor from red curry paste and lime juice and zest. While you don’t have to use a slow-cooker to make this recipe, it’s a good way to get a head start and let the vegetables soak up the spicy coconut milk sauce.
Slow-Cooker Black Bean Posole
If posole isn’t in your Meatless Monday rotation, it should be. Although it’s traditionally made with pork in Mexican cuisine, this recipe swaps the meat for black beans, which pair well with the flavor profile of onion, garlic, and peppers.
Related: 5 Health Benefits of Pinto Beans—and 6 Recipes to Try
Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas
To streamline the process of making enchiladas, try this slow-cooker recipe. Just mix up the cheesy bean-and-spinach filling, assemble the enchiladas, start the slow cooker, and you’re good to go.
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