10 Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes for Meatless Mondays

Because slow-cooking isn’t just for meat, and meatless isn't just for vegetarians.

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Photo:

Victor Protasio

Vegetarian slow cooker recipes are an anomaly. We generally turn to the trusted appliance to braise meat low and slow, like for pulled pork or brisket, but it’s also fantastic for vegetarian dishes. Beans, for example, cook beautifully in the slow cooker, and sauces get plenty of time to develop complex flavors.

If you’re seeking vegetarian Crock Pot recipes, let this collection inspire and guide you. All these meals ask for is a little prep and several hours, and they'll reward you with a delicious Meatless Monday dinner that's appropriate for any night of the week.

01 of 10

Big Batch Black Beans

Big-Batch Slow Cooker Black Beans
Jennifer Causey

A slow cooker makes cooking dried beans a breeze. It’s a hands-off process that delivers reliably tender and flavorful results. Use these well-seasoned, big-batch black beans as a main dish or as an ingredient for a vegetarian burrito, taco, or rice bowl.

02 of 10

Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna With Romaine Salad

Slow-Cooker Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna With Romaine Salad
José Picayo

You might not think to make lasagna in a slow cooker but it works and is especially handy when cooking for a crowd. This meatless rendition sneaks chopped frozen spinach into the creamy ricotta mixture to make the dish cheesy, decadent, and nutritious.

03 of 10

Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza

SLow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza
Victor Protasio

Yes, you can make pizza in a slow cooker! It's not for the spontaneous though, because it takes at least 2 hours (on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW) to cook. Start with refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own) and, if you plan your cravings just right, you'll be rewarded with a deep-dish pie with all your favorite toppings.

04 of 10

Slow Cooker Puttanesca With Roasted Broccolini

Slow-Cooker Puttanesca With Roasted Broccolini
Jennifer Causey

OK, this vegetarian slow cooker recipe isn’t technically vegetarian, but it's just as delicious if you skip the sausage and anchovies. After the onion, caper, and tomato mixture has bubbled away for 6 hours, what's left is a rich, deeply savory sauce to toss with wide, flat pappardelle noodles.

05 of 10

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes
Con Poulos

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 with fresh toppings—like sour cream, cheese, and radishes—and plenty of chips.

06 of 10

Red Curry Veggie Stew

Red curry veggie stew
Victor Protasio

Carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes make up the base of this meatless stew that gets its Thai-inspired flavor from red curry paste, lime juice, and zest. While this is a stovetop recipe, you can easily dump all the stew ingredients in a slow cooker on LOW and, after 6 to 8 hours, serve with rice. The extra time encourages vegetables to soak up the dish's spicy coconut milk sauce.

07 of 10

Slow Cooker Black Bean Posole

Slow Cooker Black Bean Posole
Victor Protasio

If posole (pronounced pah-SO-lay, also spelled "pozole") isn’t in your Meatless Monday rotation, it should be. The Mexican stew is traditionally made with pork, but this recipe swaps the meat for black beans, which pair well with the stew's flavor profile of onion, garlic, and peppers.

08 of 10

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas

Slow-Cooker Bean and Spinach Enchiladas
Marcus Nilsson

This vegetarian slow cooker recipe streamlines the process of making enchiladas. Just mix up the cheesy bean-and-spinach filling, assemble the enchiladas, and set the slow cooker to LOW. In just 3 hours, you have enchiladas with all the flavor but a fraction of the fuss.  

09 of 10

Slow Cooker Squash Lasagna

Slow-Cooker Squash Lasagna
Romulo Yanes

There are lots of ways to accommodate squash in a lasagna, but this slow-cooker version uses pureed winter squash to replace the standard tomato sauce. You'll find everything else you love about lasagna in there—creamy spinach-ricotta layers and tender noodles (with no need to pre-cook them)—but what you won't get is a hot kitchen.

10 of 10

Slow Cooker BBQ Sweet Potato Bakers

Slow-Cooker BBQ Sweet Potato Bakers
Max Kelly

The slow cooker is an effortless way to achieve the perfect baked potato (sweet or otherwise). This recipe cooks the sweet kind on LOW for 3½ hours, and then they're halved, gently mashed, topped with cheddar (and shredded chicken if you want, but it's optional), and returned to the slow cooker just until the cheese is melted. Finish with BBQ sauce, sour cream, and chives for spud perfection.

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