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Slow Cooker White Quinoa Chili

This Slow Cooker Vegan White Quinoa Chili is a hearty and comforting fall meal. It's healthy, protein-packed and perfect for game day. Not to mention it's absolutely delicious!

We're whipping out the slow cooker today!

It's sat in the back of my cabinet for over 6 months, so it's time. Time to bring it out in all its glory and make a simple, yet absolutely delicious, quinoa chili.

But friends, this isn't your normal red chili. In fact, it's the exact opposite. It's a creamy, vegetarian white quinoa chili that is flavorful, hearty, comforting and a refreshing twist on the classic.

VEGAN WHITE QUINOA CHILI made with white beans and a homemade cashew cream!

I'm sure many of you of heard of, or even tried, classic white chilis before. Yes?

Even if you haven't, let me explain. White chilis are typically made without tomatoes and are served with some sort of shredded meat. Sometimes there's a milk or cream stirred in, other times it's just broth-based.

Well, today we're taking that concept and reimagining it with a vegan spin. No meat, no cream. Just pure, plant-based goodness.

VEGAN WHITE QUINOA CHILI made with white beans and a homemade cashew cream!

We have my standard chili spices: chili, cumin, paprika, but I also added some oregano to brighten it up a bit.

And unlike me Sweet Potato + Black Bean Quinoa Chili, which has all the traditional chili fixins' + sweet potato, we're doing celery, corn and poblano peppers for the veggies. (even though it would be quite tasty with some white sweet potatoes!)

Honestly though, the true secret to making this white quinoa chili so perfectly creamy and delicious? Homemade cashew cream.

This HEALTHY + VEGAN White Quinoa Chili has white beans, peppers and a homemade cashew cream!

I've made cashew cream in some of my other soup recipes, but it's certainly the star of this dish. And since cashews themselves don't have a ton of flavor, it's really just giving it that thick, glorious texture.

I will say, the cashew cream can be optional. If you're allergic to tree nuts or simply don't have access to raw cashews, you could either just use another non-dairy milk OR you could make your own hemp milk. You would use the same proportion and would have a very similar creaminess. The only thing you might notice is a bit of a stronger flavor, but otherwise, it should be virtually identical.

This HEALTHY + VEGAN White Quinoa Chili has white beans, peppers and a homemade cashew cream!

And lastly, a few things I want to mention in case you want to change things up:

  • You can use 1 can of beans and add shredded chicken/pork
  • You can use green pepper instead of poblano
  • Use chicken stock instead of veg
  • Use a different variety of quinoa (or stir in quinoa flakes at the end)
  • Make the cream swap I mentioned above

So I hope you're ready to pull out your slow cooker and dive head first into chili season. This recipe is perfect for a crowd, perfect for meal prep, perfect for freezing and perfect for game day. It's definitely a winner all around!

(p.s. make sure to watch the video below to see how this puppy is made!)

This SLOW COOKER Vegan White Quinoa Chili is hearty, comforting and absolutely delicious!!

If you end up trying this awesome quinoa chili recipe, I'd absolutely LOVE to see a pic! You can share something with me on Instagram by tagging @simplyquinoa or using #simplyquinoa ❤️ scrolling through these photos is honestly one of the best parts of my day! #youremyfriends

More Delectable Soup Recipes to Try:

Slow Cooker White Quinoa Chili

4.3 from 54 votes
This Slow Cooker Vegan White Quinoa Chili is a hearty and comforting fall meal. It's healthy, protein-packed and perfect for game day. Not to mention it's absolutely delicious!
author: Alyssa
yield: 6
This HEALTHY + VEGAN White Quinoa Chili has white beans, peppers and a homemade cashew cream!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Add chopped vegetables, beans, quinoa, corn, broth and spices to your slow cooker. Stir together and cover. Cook on high for 4 - 5 hours, low for 5 - 6.
  • When nearly ready to serve, place cashews and boiling water in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes then transfer to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.*
  • Stir cashew cream into chili, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Serve warm with your choice of garnish! (I like fresh cilantro, pepper flakes and sliced hot peppers)

Video

Notes

* you can also soak the cashews all day and blend them up when you get home OR substitute non-dairy milk (it just won't be as creamy)
 
One of our awesome readers (hi, Eden! ????????) has come up with Instant Pot instructions!!
Place all ingredients (EXCEPT for the cashews and cashew water) into the Instant Pot. Add 5 cups water or broth (instead of 4). Select manual or pressure cook HIGH 12 minutes. 15 mins NPR (natural pressure release). Remove lid, stir in cashew cream, stir and enjoy.
NOTE: if using DRIED beans: increase water to 6 CUPS and increase time to 58 minutes HIGH pressure, 20 minutes NPR.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 412mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g
cuisine: American
course: Soup

Filed Under:

 

This SLOW COOKER Vegan White Quinoa Chili is a hearty, healthy and protein-packed that is perfect for game day! Not to mention it's absolutely delicious!

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77 comments on “Slow Cooker White Quinoa Chili”

  1. Delicious! I will make this weekly for a wonderful, healthy, easy dinner. One question: Did you roast and peel the poblano before adding? The recipe did not specify this. I did roast and peel the poblano and it added a lot of flavor. Also, I doubled the amount of poblano as some suggested.

  2. I made this today and wow the smell throughout the house
    and when it was cooked and I added the cashews everything turned out so yummy
    thank you so much for this recipe, now I have Chili all week at work

  3. HI! I’m just beginning my plant based journey. Can almonds be substituted for the cashews? There is a cashew allergy in my family. Thanks so much!

  4. I’ve made this before and love it! I’m hoping to give it a try in my Instapot this fall – any recommendation on how long it would take to cook in there?

    1. This chili is my husband’s favorite! I’ve adapted it to cook in our pressure cooker (Instant Pot)

      INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:
      Place all ingredients (EXCEPT for the cashews and cashew water) into the Instant Pot. Add 5 cups water or broth (instead of 4). Select manual or pressure cook HIGH 12 minutes. 15 mins NPR. Remove lid, stir in cashew cream, stir and enjoy.

      NOTE: if using DRIED beans: increase water to 6 CUPS and increase time to 58 minutes HIGH pressure, 20 minutes NPR.

  5. I can’t get over this chili. I already want to make it again next week. I try to make a new recipe every week and I’m SO glad this was the pick this week. I added a jalapeno for some extra kick. Will definitely make a double batch next time!

  6. This is a great recipe. I did make a few swaps–some for allergies, some for convenience of what was in my pantry. I doubled the recipe for my 7 quart slow cooker. Instead of poblano peppers, I used canned mild green chiles. I used frozen peas in place of the corn. I did cut the chili powder down just a bit–it was still a little zesty for my kids’ preference. Instead of the cashew cream, I used full fat coconut milk and waited to add it until it’d been cooking on high for about 5 hours. The only thing I would change for next time is to consider adding more quinoa–it wasn’t as thick as my husband would have preferred. Great flavor and will definitely make again–thank you for sharing the recipe!

  7. I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I have made it a ton of time and it always comes out perfect!! This time around I wanted to use black beans in place of white. What are your thoughts??

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  9. This turned out perfect!! Great recipe to start off slow cooker season:) also my first time making cashew cream and was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked out! My only comment is I turned up the heat on mine a bit from the recipe but I like spicy haha.

  10. Hi, I am about to make this recipe but I’m confused about how much vegetable broth is needed. It says “1 quart 4 cups”. Does that mean 1 quart PLUS 4 more cups? Or are you just giving two measurements for the same amount (since 4 cups=1 quart)? Hope to hear back soon!! Thank you! 🙂

  11. Avatar photo
    Brittany Anne Zwahlen

    Thanks for the recipe! I tried it tonight and though the flavor was good, my cashew milk didn’t set up right. It was very grainy. My blender is broken, so I had to use my CuisineArt food processor. Do you think this could be why? I’m so bummed– we were really looking forward to this.

  12. Hi Alyssa
    I am new to your site and am looking forward to exploring more recipe options. Just say I have a new way of fixing chili???? Thanks for sharing

  13. I really wanted to love this recipe, but it just felt lacking and bland. This chili has a great texture and is super filling, but just didn’t have the amount of flavor usually found in a slow cooked meal. I would definitely sauté the onions with spices and garlic next time to bring out a richer flavor, and add more peppers. Someone in the comments above added serrano pepper, green chilies, and coriander, which I think would totally give this dish what it’s missing. Otherwise, I loved how easy this recipe was, and how nutritious as well! Great leftovers.

  14. Hi Alyssa!
    Could I use cashew milk instead of the cashew cream? I know it won’t be as creamy, but that wouldn’t make it too watery, would it?

  15. I want to make this tonight but don’t have all the ingredients on hand to do it in a crock pot. What are your suggestions for making on the stove in a large pot?

    1. You can follow as is and just simmer it until all the ingredients are cooked – which I’m guessing will take about an hour or so!

  16. Do you think it would be awful with a red pepper? That’s all I have. If you think it’ll be awful I’ll just run to the store. Let me know what you think ????

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  18. I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! I changed a few things though 🙂 First of all there’s no need to use canned beans, you can use half a lb of dried beans and it’ll be even better. Don’t even need to soak them since they’re cooking in a crock pot!

    I doubled the poblano, added a serrano and a can of diced green chile instead of the chili powder and smoked paprika. Added some coriander as well. It was really amazing, thanks for the recipe!

  19. This was my favorite new Recipe this winter. SOOOO GOOD! btw, my daughter wants to watch one of your videos before bed every night. She is 5!

  20. Hi Alyssa! What is your recommendation for the cream swap? I’m wondering how much cream to use in place of the cashew cream if I decide to swap.

    Thank you!

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  25. I made this yesterday and loved it! I love quinoa in chili, it gives it such a nice texture and is a great replacement for whatever meat normally goes into it. I have to admit I was too lazy to get the blender out and blend up the cashews so I made it without them, and it still came out great.

  26. Hi Alyssa is the nutritional facts based on one bowl? Trying to keep up with high carb and protein meals. Going to make this today, thank you x

    1. You could, but it definitely won’t be as creamy! The other thing you could try would be coconut cream (but then it will definitely have a coconut-y flavor)!

  27. Hi Alyssa, thanks for that awesome idea. Just one thing that strikes me: Is it really only half a cup of raw cashews? Because I feel like thats not enough to get a thick, creamy texture. It rather turned out like a rather watery plant milk… any idea what was my mistake?

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  29. I really liked the flavor of this. I was confused about the cashew cream though – do you blend the 1.5 cups of water WITH the cashews, or just blend the cashews by themselves? I started out just with the cashews, then decided to add 1/2 cup of water since before that it just seemed to be chopping up the cashews into tiny pieces. Even with the water and a few minutes of blending it never really turned into a smooth “cream” despite soaking the cashews all day. Anyways, it tasted good and I’d make it again, but I’d like to know how to get the cashew cream right!

  30. Hi Alyssa!
    Just joined your site. Thank you for the nice welcome email. I’ve been eating quinoa for a few years now and I love it! I make a giant pot of it on Sundays and then add lots of chopped veggies & and herbs from my garden. . That’s my food for the week! I have not however heard of quinoa Flakes until now. Wow! Am I correct in assuming that they cook up like oatmeal? I see in your chili recipe that you add can add them in for creaminess?
    You have a great site and thanks for sharing it!

  31. Avatar photo
    Cassie Autumn Tran

    Yummy, I never thought of chili as a white concoction! I guess I always believed chili was tomato-based or something like that, haha! This looks wonderful. The cashew cream probably adds an amazing amount of creaminess and healthy fats! Cheers!