Vegetarian Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Name: Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces dried kidney beans ((454 grams)); 4-5 cups frozen onion and pepper blend ((600-700 grams)); 3 stalks celery ((chopped)); 1 tablespoon minced garlic ((6 cloves)); 7 cups water; 6 teaspoons vegetable bouillon; 3 teaspoons smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons thyme; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon celery seed; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon hot sauce ((optional)); cooked rice ((for serving))

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Slow cooker meals are my favorite - toss everything together before breakfast, walk away, and come home to a meal that's done. This Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice has become one of my go-to versions, and it happens to be completely to be vegetarian.

Vegetarian Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, in a purple bowl.

It takes about 10 minutes to load up the crockpot in the morning, and then the rest is hands-off. Almost all the ingredients come from the pantry or freezer (the only fresh ingredient is celery), which makes it perfect for busy days or weeks when the fridge looks sparse.

When the beans are nearly done, I start a pot of rice - or just use precooked rice on extra-busy nights. Either way, dinner comes together fast. The beans are filling and flavorful, even without sausage or ham, and we always have leftovers. Making lots of food with little effort is always a win in my book.

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Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
Cajun or Creole Spices
How to Make Red Beans in a Slow Cooker
Serving and Storage
Vegetarian Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice FAQs
More Easy Vegetarian Meals
📖 Recipe

Why I Love This Recipe

This slow cooker red beans and rice recipe is a favorite in my house because it's:

Vegetarian - A smoky, satisfying red beans recipe that doesn't depend on meat for flavor.
Flavorful - Smoked paprika, herbs, and plenty of vegetables give it real depth.
Pantry-friendly - Most of the ingredients come from the freezer or pantry, so it's easy to make anytime.
Versatile and flexible - Works with kidney beans, white beans, or pinto beans, whichever you have on hand.
Low-effort - Everything goes into the slow cooker in the morning and simmers with almost no hands-on work.
Plenty of leftovers - Makes a big batch that reheats and freezes beautifully for easy meals later in the week.

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Ingredients You'll Need

I adapted this from the Crock-Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe from Gimme Some Oven. I cut out the andouille sausage she used to make this into a vegetarian dish. To compensate, I bumped up the spices. Ingredients are:

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Red Beans: garlic, oregano, thyme, frozen onions and bell peppers, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, vegetable bouillon, celery seed, celery, bay leaves, dried red kidney beans.

Red beans: Use dried dark or light red kidney beans. No soaking is needed if your beans aren't old and if your slow cooker cooks well. White beans and pinto beans also work in a pinch.

Onions and peppers: You need a lot since they provide most of the flavor, especially without meat. I don't bother with fresh since they cook down; instead, I use about 24 ounces of frozen vegetables - a huge time saver.

Celery: It's the only fresh ingredient you need. It's essential in Cajun cuisine, so don't skip it. I've never found it frozen at the grocery store, but I slice and freeze what celery I don't use immediately - to make it easy to cook another batch of Red Beans later!

Vegetable bouillon: Bouillon or broth adds depth that vegetables and spices alone don't provide. The Better Than brand is the only one I've tested. If you don't care about keeping this recipe vegetarian, you can use chicken bouillon or broth instead.

Cajun or Creole Spices

Smoked paprika: This is your secret weapon. The smokiness replaces flavor you'd get from sausage or ham. Be sure yours is fresh; smoke paprika loses flavor over time.

Oregano and thyme: These classic dried herbs round out the Cajun flavor profile.

Celery seed: We don't use this often, but it's common in Cajun or Creole cuisine. Add extra celery if you can't find this, but it won't be quite the same flavor.

Bay leaves: These cook for a while as the beans simmer to add flavor, but remove them before eating as they're too tough to digest.

Premade Cajun seasoning: Use this seasoning blend in a pinch, but I've found beans made with it weren't as flavorful as adding the spices myself.

Cajun vs. Creole Seasoning

Cajun and Creole seasonings are pretty similar. Broadly speaking, Cajun seasoning is spicier, while Creole seasonings are more herbal. I apparently leaned more Creole when I adapted this and removed the sausage. You can read more about Cajun and creole seasonings in this article from Masterclass.

How to Make Red Beans in a Slow Cooker

The red beans take just 10 minutes to assemble and then cook all day long without attention from you - which makes it exactly what I want.

Ingredients for slow cooker red beans in a 6 quart crockpot, before being cooked.

Dump all of the ingredients except rice into a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, and give it a stir.

Slow cooker red beans in a 6 quart crockpot, after being cooked.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours.

Stir in the hot sauce if using. Discard the bay leaves as you come across them before serving.

Serving and Storage

Serving - Serve the beans over cooked rice. Leftovers make great lunches throughout the week.

Freezing - The beans also freeze well. I freeze them just like I do my leftover Black Bean Soup: transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer-safe container (yogurt containers work!) and leave ½ to 1 inch of space at the top since liquid expands as it freezes. Freeze the beans without the rice. Freeze without the lid, and cover after everything is solid.

Thawing - Thaw in the refrigerator for several hours, or run under water until the edges loosen enough that you can transfer the beans to a pot or microwave-safe container.

Vegetarian Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice FAQs

Is it dangerous to cook red beans in the slow cooker?

Kidney beans contain a natural lectin that must be fully cooked to be safe, according to food safety guidelines. Some slow cookers don't cook hot enough (to reach a boiling point). If you're concerned your slow cooker won't get hot enough, you can use white or pinto beans - I've tested them, and the recipe will still be delicious with them.

Can I use creole or Cajun seasoning to make red beans and rice?

Yes, but the beans won't be as flavorful. I added additional spices when I cut out andouille sausage, and premade blends don't add the same depth.

Can I make slow cooker red beans and rice with canned beans?

You can use four cans of cooked, drained beans, reduce the water, bouillon, and salt, and cook for a few hours. You will need to adjust the spices to taste.

Is vegetarian red beans and rice gluten-free?

Yes, as long as your bouillon and spices don't contain gluten; be sure to check the ingredients lists.

More Easy Vegetarian Meals

Here's some of my other favorite vegetarian and vegan meals!

I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.