Easy Crock Pot Lentil Chili

5 from 3 votes

Sep 16, 2021, Updated Sep 26, 2024

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A super simple dump and go vegetarian Crock Pot Lentil Chili recipe that is thick and hearty. Veggie packed and prepped in about 10 minutes. Slow cooked for ultimate flavor and spice. A cozy and filling meal and perfect with all your favorite toppings!

Slow cooker lentil chili served in a bowl with spoon and topped with sour cream, cheese and jalapeño.

Why you will love this Slow Cooker lentil chili:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Recipe Tips
Storage:
Favorite Toppings:
Easy Crock Pot Lentil Chili Recipe
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I am a big fan of vegetarian chili, and honestly chili in general. My Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is on repeat all the time in the cold months, but sometimes I don’t have it in me to chop up all the sweet potatoes.

So I opt for this simple crock pot Lentil Chili instead.

If you love this lentil chili as much as we do, check out this Butternut Squash Chili as well.

Why you will love this Slow Cooker lentil chili:

It requires very little chopping to prep. If you are one who is overwhelmed by all the time and effort that goes into meal prep, this lentil chili recipe requires minimal chopping and prep. Chop the onions and peppers and the rest is nothing more than dumping ingredients into the pot!
Full of pantry staples. Aside from the onion and peppers, most of this recipe pulls together with the use of pantry items. Dried lentils, canned kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, etc. We have many of these items on hand at all times!
This lentil chili is hearty and filling without the meat. Who said you need meat to get fueled every time? This recipe packs in 23 grams of protein per serving so you can still get filled up easily!
Dump all the ingredients and walk away–easy as can be! My kind of slow cooker recipe. As easy as tossing everything in the pot and letting the slow cooker do its magic!

Recipe Ingredients:

lentils: Dry lentils are the preference in this recipe. Green lentils will be a bit more on the chewy side if that is what you prefer. Brown or red lentils will come out softer. Brown are typically the type of lentils I use when making this recipe.
bell peppers: I use red bell pepper and green bell pepper, but whatever you have on hand is great as well.
onion: red onion is what I typically use, but your favorite will work well. Sweet yellow onions are a great option.
tomato sauce: not to be mistaken for marinara or pasta sauce. It is this tomato sauce, the canned form.
tomatoes: diced tomatoes, I like to use the unsalted variety when using canned tomatoes. For a fun twist, you can add fire-roasted tomatoes or the tomatoes with green chiles.
tomato paste: This will allow you to adjust the thickness of the of the lentil chili.
kidney beans: dark or light are fine. Pinto beans are a great swap if you don’t have any. You can also use one can of kidney beans and a can of black beans or another favorite if you’d like when making this vegetarian chili recipe.
spices: cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano are the main spices. You can use smoked paprika
garlic: freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor, garlic powder will sub well if needed.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Lentils, kidney beans, green peppers, spices and other chili ingredients arranged in crock pot before cooking.

Lentil chili ingredients stirred together in slow cooker pot with wooden spoon before cooking.

Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker pot aside from the tomato paste.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours or until the lentils are softened.
About 30 minutes before serving and stir in the tomato paste. Adjust to the thickness you desire.
Serve with your favorite toppings!

Recipe Tips

Keep some extra broth on hand when making this vegan chili recipe. If your chili thickens too quickly or if the lentils absorb too much of it, just add in some extra broth about 1/4 cup at a time. Everyone has their chili thickness preference, adjust to yours.
You can use any dry lentils. Green will have a bit more chew to them and cook up al dente. If you don’t want the extra chewiness, use red or brown lentils.

Bowl of lentil chili with spoon scooping into it.

Storage:

Personally, I think this chili is even better the next day because it has even more time for the flavors to soak in. To store leftovers, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

This veggie chili freezes really well, too. Allow it to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze individual servings for a quick meal for one!