Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili

Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili – a hearty vegetarian chili loaded with protein and big flavor.  Made with all pantry ingredients, this recipe is a dump, set, and forget dream!

This Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili is a fast and versatile vegetarian chili that is deliciously low in fat and high in protein!  Probably one of the easiest meals I’ve made in a long time, this recipe requires no pre-cooking of anything, just dump and set!

My crockpot has been busy these last few weeks!  I am slightly obsessed with using the slow cooker this time of year, so much so that I think it’s time for an upgrade.  My current one was a wedding gift, making it about 15 years old, and doesn’t have any of the fancy bells and whistles you find on newer versions.  Any suggestions on what to buy?  I’m also toying with purchasing an InstaPot which doubles as a pressure cooker and slow cooker.  Decisions, decisions!!  Back to the recipe though…

Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili Recipe

I wanted this to be a vegetarian chili recipe, but you’ll notice in the recipe instructions that I left some ingredients open to interpretation.  You can use any kind of beans you have on hand, for example, and the type of broth used is completely up to you.  For vegetarian, obviously use vegetable broth.  Otherwise, chicken or beef broth will work just as nicely.  I also included my Homemade Chili Seasoning recipe, which makes a nice sized batch of seasoning that I keep on hand for all my chili recipes.  This is a thick, hearty chili, that can stand up to lots of your favorite toppings so load it up and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili Variations

Add diced onions, bell peppers, or diced zucchini for more veggies.

This recipe is excellent for meal prep.  Store individual servings in mason jars for make ahead lunch.

Substitute fire roasted tomatoes for the diced tomatoes for extra flavor.

If you love heat and spice, add some jalapenos or tabasco.

Do you love chili as much as I do?  With chili season about to be in full swing, I’ll be rotating some of my favorites through our menu.  Check out this Instant Pot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili or White Chicken Chili for more inspiration!

Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili

Servings: 8 servings (1 cup)

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili, crockpot, vegetarian

Slow Cooker Quinoa & Bean Chili - a hearty vegetarian chili loaded with protein and big flavor. Made with all pantry ingredients, this recipe is a dump, set, and forget dream!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cans (15 oz) beans of your choice (white, black, pinto, etc)
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used red quinoa)
• ▢ 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 can (16 oz) unsalted tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 can (7 oz) green chilis
• ▢ 2 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Homemade chili seasoning blend (see below)
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn kernels

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  
• Cook on Low for 7-8 hours or High 4-5 hours (or until quinoa is cooked) 
• Top with your favorite chili toppings such as cheese, cilantro, onions, avocado, etc.

Notes

Homemade Chili Seasoning Blend:  5 Tablespoons chili powder, 2 Tablespoons cumin, 2 Tablespoons garlic powder, 2 Tablespoons oregano, 1 Tablespoon paprika (or smoked paprika), 1 1/2 Tablespoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt.  Store in a mason jar or tightly sealed container.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 2g, Sodium: 380mg, Potassium: 925mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 485IU, Vitamin C: 15.5mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 5.7mg

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