9 Vegetarian slow-cooker recipes

These slow cooker vegetarian meals are ideal for saving time on busy weeknights, as well as using up lots of veg. Simply add all your ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning and leave it to do the hard work.

Vegetarian slow-cooker recipes

Slow-cooker dahl

Check out our healthy dahl recipe with lentils and split peas. This delicious slow-cooker idea is sure to make a deliciously creamy dinner – it's a great weekend vegetarian warmer for those wintery months! It even comes with a recipe for homemade naans. We have plenty more dahl recipes where this came from, too.

Slow-cooker vegan cashew and potato curry

A creamy, aromatic Sri Lankan curry, made simply in a slow cooker. This recipe doesn't require any fancy ingredients and is also suitable for vegans. Check out more vegan slow cooker recipes.

Slow-cooker tagine with pepper, date and harissa

This simple but flavour-packed slow-cooker veggie tagine makes a feature of meltingly soft peppers, but you could add all sorts of veg to the base sauce – chunks of squash or courgette would be good. More easy tagine recipes right this way.

Slow-cooker vegetarian stew

Check out our easy chickpea stew packed with dates, crunchy almonds and vibrant turmeric. Slow cooking chickpeas with a heady selection of spices really ramps up the flavour in this frugal dish. Try to get hold of the extra large, chubby chickpeas in jars for superior texture.

Slow-cooker vegetarian chilli

Our slow-cooker veggie chilli is made with black beans and fiery chipotle paste. This meat-free one-pot is an easy, filling, low-calorie recipe the whole family will love.

Slow-cooker aubergine salad

A salad in a slow cooker? Once you’ve seen how easy it is to get squishy, soft aubergines without slaving over a griddle you’ll make this again and again. A colourful salad that’s ideal for the warmer months, it contrasts a sweet molasses and honey dressing with salty feta for a moreish result.

Slow-cooker aubergine parmigiana

Adapt this comforting recipe for your slow cooker – just cook for six hours on low. The layered aubergine slices will turn meltingly soft, and if your slow cooker has a fry button, you can cook them in a drizzle of olive oil before assembling. Finished with mozzarella slices, basil leaves and a grating of parmesan, this makes for a wonderfully comforting meal.

Slow-cooker tomato sauce

Batch cooking pasta and pizza sauce is a great way to use up any tomatoes that look like they’ve seen better days – plus if you grow them, they can ripen quicker than you can use them up.

Add about 1.5kg blanched and chopped tomatoes, a bunch of basil, bay leaf, a good glug of olive oil, some seasoning and a few crushed garlic cloves to the slow cooker and cook for six to eight hours until the tomatoes have completely broken down. You can use a stick blender to make a smoother sauce.

If your tomatoes are super ripe, you don’t need to add sugar or vinegar to make a piquant sauce but taste and add a sprinkle of each if it needs it. Add a spoon of crème fraîche or mascarpone for richness post-cooking, if you like.

Slow-cooker oats

Minutes are valuable in the morning, so save another 15 for something useful by making your porridge in a slow cooker overnight. Use your usual porridge recipe (reducing the milk a little, to account for no evaporation) and activate the ‘keep warm’ function, and you’ll wake up to a warm breakfast that’s ready to go.

Porridge isn’t just a winter warmer: top with summer berries, a dollop of yogurt, a few sunflower seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup for a summery version. We have lots of porridge toppings here.

Read our expert guide to the best slow cookers to buy this year