Whoever said “a dog is a man’s best friend” didn’t own slow cookers. This magical cooking appliance is my all-time favorite. The best thing about slow cookers is that you can leave them plugged in overnight and by morning, you have a home cooked meal that looks like it took you hours of hard labor to create. My little secret weapon makes it possible that all you ever really have to do is chop up some veggies and open a few cans and you’re set! These recipes are my go-to crowd-pleasing vegetarian (also vegan!) slow cooker recipes for my lovely herbivores (and anyone on a budget). I promise, you won’t even remember there’s no meat in these recipes…they’re that good!
Before you start: All you need to do is throw these things together in the slow cooker and set it to low if you’re having a good night sleep, or high if you’ve got five hours before your next class.
Tomato and Kale Barley
Ingredients:
1 cup of barley
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 handful of chopped kale
½ diced white onion
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of garlic
1 tbsp of Italian seasoning
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Sweet Potato Barley
Ingredients:
1 cup of barley
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 big sweet potato (diced)
½ diced white onion
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 tbsp of tarragon
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Chickpea Zucchini Stew
Ingredients:
Ingredients:1 large can of chickpeas
1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 zucchini
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of garlic
1 tsp of allspice
Fresh parsley
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Chilli
Ingredients:
1 can of black beans
1 cup of frozen or fresh corn
1 sweet pepper
1 onion
4 diced tomatoes
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of mustard
2 tbsp of hot sauce
1 /2 tsp of curry powder
A handful of fresh cilantro
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
2 tbsp of oil
The great thing about slow cooker meals is that you’ve got a few meals lined up and they can be frozen for a later day. These meals have been taste-tested by family and friends and I can guarantee you’ll think they’re yummy too! If you don’t already have a slow cooker, head on over to your favorite grocery store and get your hands on one for less than $25. Crockpot is a great slow cooker brand, for example. Leave me a comment if you get around to trying any of these!
Featured image via Ting Tian on Unsplash
