5 vegan slow cooker recipes that basically cook themselves (saves you money too)

If you’ve ever walked into a house perfumed with cumin, garlic, and simmering beans, you know the magic.

For me, it takes me straight back to my grandmother’s taquería kitchen. She’d leave a pot of black beans bubbling low and slow while tending to tortillas and customers. Hours later, the beans would be silky, the broth rich, the air thick with promise.

That’s the gift of the slow cooker. It doesn’t just cook dinner—it gives you time back, stretches a grocery budget, and hums along using less energy than your oven.

For plant-based eaters, it’s especially powerful: beans, lentils, and hearty veggies shine brightest when they’re allowed to simmer until tender.

And when you cook in big batches, you’re not only saving money but also reducing food waste and stress.

Here are five of my favorite vegan slow cooker recipes that do most of the work for you. All you have to do is chop, season, and let the machine take it from there.

1. Budget-friendly black bean chili

When I was a kid, I’d watch my grandmother rinse and soak mountains of dried beans in the back of our taquería. She always said beans were the backbone of a good meal—filling, affordable, and endlessly versatile.

This chili pays tribute to that wisdom.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight 
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes 
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 bell pepper, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Steps:

1. Drain the soaked beans and add them to the slow cooker. 
2. Stir in tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and spices. 
3. Pour in broth and cover. Cook on low 7–8 hours or high 4–5 hours. 
4. Stir in corn 30 minutes before serving.

Why it works: Buying beans dry and cooking them yourself cuts the cost by more than half compared to canned. Chili is also freezer-friendly, so one batch gives you multiple dinners down the line.

2. Cozy lentil and vegetable curry

On Sundays, I have what I call my spice ritual. I heat a dry skillet, toss in cumin seeds, turmeric, and curry powder, and let the fragrance fill the kitchen. That same sensory burst lands in this slow cooker curry.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed 
• 1 can coconut milk 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 2 carrots, sliced 
• 1 zucchini, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon curry powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Steps:

1. Add lentils, coconut milk, onion, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and spices to the cooker. 
2. Pour in broth, stir, and cover. 
3. Cook on low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours until lentils are tender.

Why it works: Lentils cook quickly, don’t need soaking, and are among the cheapest protein sources you’ll find. With pantry spices and a splash of coconut milk, you transform them into something indulgent without the price tag.

3. Jackfruit barbacoa tacos

At my family’s taquería, barbacoa was the crown jewel—beef slow-cooked until tender, then shredded for tacos. These days, I reach for canned jackfruit. Once simmered in smoky spices, it pulls apart just like the original.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cans young green jackfruit (in brine, not syrup), drained and rinsed 
• 1 onion, sliced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 teaspoon oregano 
• 1 cup vegetable broth 
• Corn tortillas, for serving

Steps:

1. Shred jackfruit slightly with a fork and add to slow cooker. 
2. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato paste, and spices. 
3. Pour in broth and cover. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. 
4. Shred again before serving in warm tortillas.

Why it works: A can of jackfruit costs a fraction of meat and delivers the same satisfying, saucy texture. Make a double batch and stretch it across tacos, nachos, burritos, or grain bowls all week.

4. Root vegetable stew with herbed dumplings

There’s nothing cozier than walking into a kitchen perfumed with slow-cooked root vegetables. This stew makes humble carrots and potatoes taste like comfort royalty. And the drop-biscuit dumplings? They float on top like little pillows.

What you’ll need (for stew):

• 2 carrots, sliced 
• 2 potatoes, cubed 
• 1 parsnip, chopped 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 4 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 teaspoon thyme 
• 1 teaspoon rosemary

What you’ll need (for dumplings):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, chilled and cubed 
• ½ cup plant-based milk 
• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, chives, or dill)

Steps:

1. Add all stew ingredients to the slow cooker, stir, and cook on low 7–8 hours or high 4–5 hours. 
2. In the last hour of cooking, mix dumpling ingredients into a soft dough. Drop spoonfuls onto the stew’s surface. Cover and cook until dumplings are puffed, about 45 minutes.

Why it works: Root vegetables are cheap, nutrient-rich, and store well, reducing waste. This dish is hearty enough to stand alone and flexible enough to soak up whatever’s in your fridge.

5. Overnight apple-cinnamon steel-cut oats

When I was little, my mother would simmer canela (Mexican cinnamon sticks) with fruit until the whole house smelled sweet and spicy. This recipe borrows that memory for an easy breakfast you can literally wake up to.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup steel-cut oats 
• 2 apples, chopped 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 3 cups plant-based milk or water 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional) 
• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Add oats, apples, cinnamon, liquid, and salt to the slow cooker. 
2. Stir, cover, and cook on low overnight (7–8 hours). 
3. In the morning, stir well and sweeten with maple syrup if desired.

Why it works: Bulk oats cost pennies compared to packaged breakfast bars or cereals. Cooking them overnight saves you time, and the batch can be portioned into jars for grab-and-go meals all week.

The upshot? Slow cooking saves more than time

Each of these recipes shares a rhythm: simple ingredients, long simmer, big reward.

The slow cooker helps us return to an older way of cooking—patient, fragrant, nourishing—while also cutting grocery bills and energy use.

And the bigger picture? You’re not just feeding yourself.

You’re helping the planet by relying on affordable, low-impact foods like beans, lentils, and root vegetables. You’re building community when you make enough to share. And you’re carving out moments of ease in a week that might otherwise feel rushed.

So plug in that slow cooker. Let it hum in the background while you live your life. When dinnertime comes, you’ll open the lid to something warm, fragrant, and ready—as if by magic.