Crock Pot Black Bean Lentil Quinoa Chili is the most satisfying, cozy cold-weather meal! This healthy, hearty vegetarian chili is extremely easy and can easily be made vegan.
So here's the deal: it's freaking COLD outside. Like waaaay too cold. And it's about to get even colder. It's going to be a whopping 6 degrees this Saturday.
The recipe
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, coriander and cumin for .
Stir in the tomato paste, add the chopped tomatoes and oregano, and cook for .
Add the cooked mixture to your Crock-Pot.
Top with all the remaining ingredients and give it all a good stir.
Cover and cook on high for or on low for .
Want this vegan? Omit the cheese and yogurt.
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
5.1g protein per 100 calories
Balanced
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from USDA ingredient data and will vary with brands and portions. Optional items not included: lemon juice, Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro and tortilla chips toppings. Calculated without toppings, matching the recipe's own note. Assumes regular (not low-sodium) vegetable broth. Use it as a guide, not medical advice.
Step 1 of 5
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, coriander and cumin for .
You'll need
Step 2 of 5
Stir in the tomato paste, add the chopped tomatoes and oregano, and cook for .
You'll need
Step 3 of 5
Add the cooked mixture to your Crock-Pot.
Step 4 of 5
Top with all the remaining ingredients and give it all a good stir.
You'll need
Step 5 of 5
Cover and cook on high for or on low for .
You'll need
Behind the recipe
I'm looking forward to bundling up and cuddling with my boys under kitchen table tents. And also maybe reorganizing my closet and trying on all my clothes and shoes in the process. It's the only way to put away clothes neatly. 😛 But most importantly, I'm looking forward to making this AH-MAZING bowl of vegetarian chili again, because it's THE most satisfying, cozy cold-weather option. Introducing Crock Pot Black Bean Lentil Quinoa Chili, everyone!
I made this last week and served it with tortilla chips for dipping, and let me tell you… every bite was pure, warming bliss!
With the right amount of flavorings, this healthy and delicious vegetarian chili can easily be made vegan if you choose your toppings wisely. But the yogurt and cheese? Nom nom, nom nom nom! They go so well with the tortilla chips. It was a bit addictive.
To boost the flavors and make my house smell good, I started by sautéing the onion, garlic and red bell pepper with the coriander and cumin in my Dutch oven.
Then I stirred in some tomato paste and added the chopped tomatoes and oregano.
I let that cook for about 5 minutes.
Then I added the cooked mixture to my Crock Pot with all the remaining ingredients.
I gave everything a good stir and let it cook on high for 4.5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
And voilà! You have a thick, creamy, satisfying warm chili!
Top it with your favorite ingredients like freshly squeezed lemon juice, Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado and tortilla chips.
Time to dip and crunch away with no regard for your surroundings. Stay warm and cozy, friends! 🙂
What I've used in this recipe:
Here's a complete list of my kitchen essentials.
Enjoy this extremely easy recipe for Crock Pot Black Bean Lentil Quinoa Chili.
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Questions & comments 119
Leave a commentI only have tinned lentils, will it still work ok?
Hey Tam! I’ve never tried it with tinned lentils so I’m not sure to be honest. I’m assuming it should be fine but let me know if you try that and how it turns out!
Thank you, this was delicious! I omitted the carrots, and just put everything in the crockpot without pre-cooking anything. It was still amazing!
Wow! This was the most delicious and flavorful chili.
I’ve been loving and using this recipe! I do thinking it a little bit with some flour. Also the prep time is way off unless you have a kitchen full of elves!!
Hello Christine; I am in Spain and the formats of the ingredients are different, so could you tell me how many grams. are the black beans? and if I start them from scratch, I soak 8 hours, would it also be 8 hours on low? Thanks in advance precious and take good care of yourself. By the way, I just subscribed. Greetings
I made this for a gathering last night, and cooked it exactly as the recipe stated except that I forgot to buy corn at the store and I rinsed the quinoa before adding it to the crockpot. It was easy and absolutely delicious, and multiple guests left the party with the link to make it for themselves. I was counting on some leftovers for my lunch today, and there weren’t any.
I’ll definitely be making this again and again. It’s a fantastic recipe.
Thanks so much Kristie for your feedback! I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed it so much. Next time, save your next day lunch in a container before anyone arrives 😜😆.
I’ve been this recipe so many times last like 4 years! it’s my favorite!! I am wondering can I half it? If so would it be less time.
Thank you for a staple recipe
Thanks Amanda for the feedback and I’m so glad you like this recipe! Yes you can half it but cooking time remains the same. Enjoy!
Could u omit quinoa and add more lentils?
Hi Kerri! You sure can, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you try that. Enjoy!
Yum your version sounds great! Thanks Kelly for sharing. I’m glad you liked this recipe. Enjoy!
This was great. I omitted the tomato paste and coriander as I didn’t have them. I added a jalapeño, smoked paprika and some and pepper. I only used about 2 T. Of chili powder as I had some homemade chili seasoning to use up and I also added about a t. of bouillon. I also used a whole can of no salt corn with liquid instead of frozen, one can of pinto instead of two cans of black beans, one large tomato along with a 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes with liquid. Green lentils worked great as well as red quinoa. Four cups of broth was plenty with the extra liquid from the corn and tomatoes. I served with cheese, sour cream and corn chips.
This is now my go to recipe for entertaining when I am broke. Last time I made it I served it with a dollop of yogurt and avocado w/ tortilla chips on the side. This time I am going to serve it with some creamy polenta for dinner for the family, and with chips & guacamole with chips for the guests.
Thanks!!
Yum! That sounds amazing. Enjoy!
Hi there
I followed the recipe perfectly and there is still a lot of liquid after 4 hours cooking it on high.. is this how it should be?
So easy and so flavorful. Great recipe for new vegans or vegetarians, you will swear someone snuck some meat in there because it tastes so meaty and savory. Great for a cold fall or winter night. Perfect with some avocado, cilantro, and lime on top and a side of tortilla chips.
Thank you Zach for taking the time to leave a comment and. Do glad you liked my recipe! I agree that the toppings you mentioned are perfect wit it! Yum! Enjoy ☺️
Delicious. Did not have fresh tomatoes so used canned that I drained mostly. Also used one can of black beans and one of cannelllini beans. Topped with avocado, greek yogurt, cilantro, and lime (vs. lemon). Husband is not a big soup/stew eater but he went for seconds. Spice level worked for him — I added hot sauce (Peri-peri chili lime accented the lime I squeezed into it) Will definitely be making this again, especially since it’s so high in protein.
Thanks Sharon for the comment ❤️. Your toppings sound delicious and I’m so glad hubby liked this too!
I have green lentils. Will that work?
Also, if I’m using canned diced tomatoes should I use less broth? Thanks!
Hi Jodi! Sorry I’m so late to respond. Did you end up trying the recipe? Let me know how it turned out! I’m not sure how green lentils would taste but I assume should be fine. Canned tomatoes shouldn’t make too much of a difference and I would use sane amount of broth.
This looks amazing, but instead of canned beans I would like to use dry beans. Do you have any suggestions of how to adjust the recipe/cooking time?
Hi Viktorija – did you end up trying the recipe? I never tried using dry beans before. I would think they need to be cooked first. Let me know if you tried and how it turned out!
SO good! I threw everything in the crockpot and used a can of crushed tomatoes instead to make it easier on me. It tastes better than beef chili! It’s great leftover and frozen too. It will be a staple this fall!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I just bought an Instant Pot and tried it out in there. It was done when I checked it after 8 minutes!
Wow! 8 minutes?? That’s incredible. Thanks so much for the feedback and I’m glad it’s one of your favorite recipes!
What is the serving size please?
This chili is SO good! You do not miss the meat at all! Honestly will not be making regular chili again after making this recipe. I am lazy so I just threw everything in the crockpot and the flavor was still great.
That’s too funny, Lauren! Yes, you can definitely just throw it all in. So glad you liked it!!
This sounds so good and I can’t wait to try it. Could I use dry black beans instead? or would i have to cook them first? I just don’t like how much salt there is in can foods.
You might try searching for salt free or low sodium beans. I try to buy only salt free canned beans!
thanks for the suggestion, Angel! 🙂
HI Paulina – did you end up trying the recipe? I never tried using dry beans, I would think they need to be cooked first. Let me know if you tried it!
I just came across this recipe and I must say that its one of the best chili’s Ive ever had. Bar none. I will make it many more times. Thank you.
Thanks, AJ for the feedback! So happy you liked my recipe so much! Hope you keep enjoying it 😉
This has become our favorite Chili, and so versatile. My husband asks me to make this as he can use any leftovers as a dip for tortilla chips. He tops it with sour cream and cheese.
Yumm! We do the same as the leftovers tend to thicken a little and are perfect with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese. So glad this has become your family’s favorite chili!
WOW – This is outstanding!!
Thanks, Jennifer! So happy you liked it!
Did anyone know or can share how long this recipe takes in their instant pot?
Hi Elise – Did you ever end up making this in the instant pot? I plan to do so soon but wanted to share the following with you as well which I found very helpful!
https://www.superhealthykids.com/the-ultimate-guide-for-making-any-crockpot-recipe-in-an-instant-pot/
It seems like a tbsp for each spice is a lot… did you mean tsp?
No, I meant tbsp 😀 Feel free to adjust to your liking.
Have you tried it with kidney beans? I have 1 can black, and 1 can kidney…also, has anyone added chipotle?
Hi Lori – I think a mixture of black and kidney beans will be great! Let me knoe how it turns out.
New favorite vegetarian chili! The lentils & quinoa add awesome texture, it has the prefect amount of seasoning for me and is beyond easy to throw together. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Barabara for your feedback! I’m so glad you liked it!
My native Texan-husband is like most Texans about “chili”: it is made with beef and chile and some seasonings, and adding beans or vegetables renders it “soup.” I expected a full mocking when I made this recipe for our daughter’s 10th birthday. To my amazement, he loved it! He asked for more!
That’s too funny, Christy! Thanks for trying my recipe and letting me know how it went. I’m so glad it helped get a new reaction out of your hubby and happy birthday to your daughter!
Tried this today and will definitely make again. I halved the recipe because my slow cooker is teeny tiny! I also used one can of diced tomatoes. I will use the full amount of quinoa next time and half all the other ingredients as there was too much liquid after cooking for my liking 🙂 thanks Christine!!
Thanks, Sheena! so glad you liked my recipe 🙂
Hello,
This recipe made me spank my wife!
Thanks,
Bon and the kids!
Bon – It’s great to hear that you tried the recipe. Spanking though, I gotta tell you, sure sounds like an unexpected side effect. Let’s just hope that it was all consensual! ????
This one is GREAT! I put all the ingredients in the rice cooker, high for 10 min and slow on 90 min and it was awesome!
Look at you being creative! Glad it worked out and you liked it! Thanks for commenting Pnina.
So good! How much protein is in this!??
Without the toppings, each serving should be around 24g of protein and around 386 calories! It’s also only 6.7g of fat! 🙂
Just made this today and I have to say the whole family LOVED it!!!! Thanks for sharing!
*** I used 14 oz petite diced tomatoes and 14oz crushed tomatoes instead of the 4 cups chopped tomatoes, just perfect!
Thanks Sanya! I’m so happy your family loved it!
This looks great and I’m going to make it today. Do you think I could skip the initial step of pre cooking some ingredients? Doesn’t really seem necessary and would be easier to skip. Thanks!
You can definitely skip. I think it adds a little more flavor but definitely optional! Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, would this work if i use uncooked black beans instead of canned beans, or will i need to boil the beans first before following crockpot recipe?
Thanks.
Hello! I would boil them first. Did you try making it? Let me know how it turned out 🙂
I omitted carrots and added mushrooms. Also used 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans. This recipe is soooooo delicious! Definitely my new go-to vegan chili recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Erica for your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I don’t have enough carrots using a can of kidney beans instead
I hope you liked it Tammy!
Hi- have you or anyone made this in the instant pot.
J
Hi Joanne – I have not yet done so but will in the near future. Check this out in the meantime: https://www.superhealthykids.com/the-ultimate-guide-for-making-any-crockpot-recipe-in-an-instant-pot/
I made this and it is delicious! My only complaint is that I was a bit gassy. Then again, water makes me gassy!
LOL Ben! Yes, my husband loves this recipe and has the same issue! Have you tried Beano? You can take it before eating…or drinking water 😀 seems to help
Made this in my instantpot and it came it great. I use couscous instead of quinoa (because I didn’t have any in the house). Lots of leftover deliciousness.
I’m so glad you liked it Danielle! Couscous sounds delicious!
Do you know how many grams of protein per serving?
Hi Casey! Check out the Nutrition Facts added to the post!
I started making this and realized last min I forgot to veggie stock at the grocery store last night. My little are sleeping. Should I just use water? I did use diced tomatos so there is a bit of the juice from those.
Yes, add water. Hope you like it!
Hi! I’m Cooking this recipe tonight as it sounds delicious! I’m curious as to why the recipe ask for the black beans to be rinsed and drained? Thanks! I drained it but I’m lazy to rinse it 😉
Hi Mary! It is optional. I prefer to rinse to remove the excess salt, starch & metallic flavor. Did you make it? How did it turn out?????
Do you think I could cook this on the stovetop and for how long? What adjustments should I do?
Hi Sisi- I never tried making it on stovetop but I believe all you have to do is put all ingredients in your pot after step 2 and bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour until lentil are tender. I would half the recipe unless you have a big enough pot! Let me know how it turns out!
Hi I can’t wait to try this but I have red lentils in my pantry could I substitute them instead of the brown ones?
Hi Lizabeth- did you end up making it? I believe red lentils would give it a totally different texture and taste. Let me know how it turned out!
I didn’t have all the ingredients you listed, but I worked with what I had, and your recipe gave me inspiration! Thanks a lot! What a great way to add some protein in without meat 🙂
So happy to bring on some inspiration! Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙂
I just bought the ingredients will be making this today. Only concern is the quinoa. My last Crock-Pot recipe I followed using it made it mushy. Is this going to do the same?
Hi Jonnelleoh- how did it turn out? The quinoa never comes out mushy in this recipe :). Hope you liked it!
It was yummy! Lasted me about 4 days.
It was a great Super Bowl 51 dinner!
Thank you!!
Gary in Moretown, VT
Glad you enjoyed it, Gary!! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Do you know if this freezes well? Making it for a new mom and want to make sure she can freeze it if she is not ready for it right away. Thanks!
Hi Molly – How sweet of you to help out a new mom!I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but I believe it should be fine as lentils freeze well for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze in portion sizes.
Thank you!!
If you half the recipe, does the cooking time change at all? Only cooking for one and I have a smaller crockpot. Thanks!
Hi Katherine – With slow cookers, cooking times always remain the same whether you’re halving or doubling a recipe. That’s good that you have a smaller crockpot, that way the heat will distribute evenly since you are halving the recipe. Enjoy!
Came out delicious! Halved the recipe for my boyfriend and I, but still had leftovers!! To satiate his carnivorous hunger I ended up adding browned, ground turkey at the last minute! Would have been perfect without though!
Thank you!
Awesome! So glad you guys liked it. Thanks for commenting, Jasmine! Enjoy the leftovers 🙂
This is my favorite chili recipe ever, and I love that it’s vegetarian! It seriously does look like chili with beef. My husband actually craves this chili now. I’ve been trying many different recipes over the past month and this one takes the cake by far. Thank you for sharing such a great tasting recipe 🙂
Thanks, Karla!! And you’re welcome 🙂 So glad you and hubby liked it so much! My husband craves this chili too and now I’m craving it too!
How big of a crockpot did you use? I have a 4quart and 5quart. This recipe sounds delicious!
Thanks, Kristen! I have a 6quart crockpot.
Is there a way to substitute canned diced tomatoes?
Hi Cindy! Yes, you sure can. You can substitute the 4 cups of chopped tomatoes with (2) 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes. Let me know how it turns out!
This was great! Thanks so much for this recipe. I have two vegetarian kids and I’m always looking for something new that will get them their protein. I put in some meatless crumbles too. My husband is a meat eater and he had two helpings and loved it too. YUM!
Thanks Nicole for leaving feedback! I’m so glad your family loved it! your comment made me hungry for some too! 🙂
omg thank you for this. It was AMAZING I can’t wait to eat some more tomorrow it was great!
Thanks, Amanda for trying and commenting!! So glad you liked it! Aren’t awesome leftovers the best?
This is in the crock pot right now! I left out the corn since my husband isn’t a fan. Can’t wait to taste it!
What did you think? I am thinking of trying it!
Hi Nydia! So excited you tried my recipe! How did you and hubby like it? Both Michelle and I want to know your feedback! 😉
How many servings would this make? I am trying figure out the caloric contnet per serving.
Hi Chris! Thanks for checking out my recipe and rating it!!! If you divide into 8 servings, each serving will be 365 calories. That’s excluding the toppings 🙂
What is the size per serving?
What is the serving size?
I really love that you use lentils and quinoa in this recipe! Sounds lovely!
Thanks, Colleen! I had friends who couldn’t believe there wasn’t meat in this 😀 The lentils & quinoa definitely add a lot of that filling texture and flavor.