12 vegan slow-cooker ideas
Warm yourself up with one of our simple vegan slow-cooker recipes. Let your kitchen kit do the hard work so you can come home to a tasty family meal.
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As the weather cools down, we start dreaming of curries, spaghetti and creamy risottos – even more so if we can pop the ingredients into the slow cooker and come back later to a vegan feast.
Make the most of seasonal veg, warming spices and comforting sauces with our fabulous, easy recipes below, discover the best slow cookers to buy with our guide, and find practical cookery tips and product picks to help you make the most of your investment.
To make a winning slow cooker meal, simply prep your ingredients, throw them in, then sit back and let your cooker do the work. Here are some of our favourite vegan slow cooker recipes. Now try our favourite vegan one-pots, vegan batch-cooking recipes, vegan curry recipes and even more vegan slow-cooker recipes.
1. Slow-cooker ratatouille
Make a big batch of this slow-cooker ratatouille and freeze for those busy weeknights. You can feel good about this family dinner, as it packs in three of your five-a-day. Prepping the veg takes just 10 minutes, and this chunky stew is full of aubergine, courgette, peppers and tomatoes – it tastes great with crusty sourdough on the side.
See our healthy vegan collection for more nutritious meals.
2. Danish-style yellow split pea soup
This warming Danish-style yellow split pea soup is loaded with vegetables and nutrients. Soak dried yellow split peas for at least two hours, then cook for 10 minutes and add to your slow cooker. In 6-8 hours, you'll have a healthy, hearty low-fat soup that you can freeze for later.
For more cosy meals, see our vegan soup collection.
3. Aubergine & chickpea stew
Our aubergine & chickpea stew serves six and makes for a great family supper. While it uses dried chickpeas, you can used canned if you're short on time, making it even simpler. Top with toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil, then serve with warm pittas.
See our vegan chickpea collection for everything from snacks to filling mains.
4. Pasta e fagioli
Cook this pasta e fagioli on low for 6-8 hours for an easy winter stew. It's super-filling and loaded with veg, pasta and beans, plus there's brown rice miso stirred in for an extra-savoury kick. Serving up to eight people, it's great for a large family. Top with homemade vegan cashew parmesan or use a shop-bought vegan Italian-style cheese.
5. Vegan chilli
Pack in the veg and spice with our healthy vegan chilli. Serve with fluffy rice or over jacket potatoes for a filling supper with minimal effort and maximum flavour. Try with a squeeze of zesty lime and some guacamole, or simply top with sliced avocado. As it uses plenty of storecupboard ingredients, it's a great way to use up that can of kidney beans in the back of the pantry. Try more vegan chilli recipes.
6. Slow-cooker vegetable curry
Nothing beats a classic warming vegetable curry. This freezable recipe is best served with a warm flatbread for mopping up the creamy coconut sauce. As with any curry, the flavours only intensify with time, so the leftovers are just as delicious the next day. Veggies, vegans and meat-eaters alike will love this indulgent-tasting dish – chuck away the Friday night takeaway menu and embrace a homemade, slow-cooked curry. Get to grips with even more plant-based plates with our vegan curry collection.
7. Spicy spaghetti with garlic mushrooms
This easy spicy spaghetti dish never fails. The Italian flavours intensify in the slow cooker and the sauce thickens, creating a beautiful pot of pasta. This no-fuss recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare and is ideal for a midweek meal – amp up the chilli flakes if you're a spice fanatic. Tuck into even more vegan pasta dishes in our ultimate collection.
8. Sweet potato & coconut curry
A filling sweet potato curry is the perfect antidote to the midweek slump. Serve with fluffy couscous and fresh coriander in deep bowls. A little peanut butter is the secret ingredient to take your curry from bland to brilliant – stir it through before serving and enjoy. Find more marvellous vegan main courses in our fabulous recipe collection.
9. Slow-cooker breakfast beans
Forget canned baked beans – once you’ve tried our slow-cooker breakfast beans on toast, you’ll never look back. Not only is this dish healthy and a great source of protein, the slightly sweet-yet-sharp sauce is totally irresistible. Try it as part of a vegan fry-up with veggie sausages, hash browns and scrambled tofu. Try a twist on your usual morning meal with our best ever vegan breakfasts.
10. Slow-cooker mushroom risotto
If you think risotto is difficult to make, give our low-calorie slow cooker mushroom version a go. Use a combination of dried porcini mushrooms and fresh chestnut mushrooms for a deeper flavour. Simply swap the parmesan for our easy vegan version.Our easy meat-free mains and simple suppers will give you some serious inspiration.
11. Slow-cooked marrow with fennel & tomato
Make marrow the star of your dinner table with our slow-cooked marrow with fennel & tomato – it counts for a whopping four of your five-a-day. Chunky butter beans, punchy fennel and plenty of herbs make this a fabulous supper. Serve with a thick slice of homemade sourdough spread with vegan cashew cream cheese, if you like.
Indulge in fakeaways and Friday night feasts with our vegan comfort food recipes.
12. Slow-cooker pumpkin soup
This warming, velvety soup serves six, so it's perfect for when you're entertaining or want to get ahead with meal prep. Red lentils add plenty of fibre and make it a nourishing, filling meal.
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What's your go-to plant-based slow cooker recipe? Leave a comment below.
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