You Won't Miss the Meat in These Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth getting a slow cooker for vegetarians? ›

And just like slow-cooking meat, slow-cooking vegetables will draw out flavors and turn your dishes incomparably moist. The slow cooker is a great way to imbue extra flavor in your vegetarian soups and stews, but the possibilities don't stop there.

"Raw meat is a slow-cooker staple, but you may need to add it to the pot before adding other ingredients like green vegetables," she shared. "Browning meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker has been a game-changer for my slow-cooker meals.

Fill the crock pot at least half full and no more than two-thirds full. Thaw frozen meats and vegetables before placing in the crock pot. Place dense vegetables in crock pot first, such as carrots and potatoes, since they take longer than meats to cook.

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Over time, your skin loses its volume and its youthfulness. A vegan diet tends to be higher in antioxidants and other nutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties. These are linked to better health and brighter, more glowing skin.

The best vegetables for a slow cooker are sturdier veggies like celery, carrots, tomatoes, onions, peppers and green beans, like we used in this recipe.

Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker. Stick to heartier root vegetables like potatoes, onions, leeks and yams, or wait to add the tender vegetables until the last 30 minutes or so of cooking time.

Yes, it's possible to overcook potatoes in a crockpot. They can become mushy and lose their texture if left for too long. It's advisable to follow a recipe's recommended cooking time to achieve the desired consistency.

When should I add potatoes to slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables such as zucchini and beans can be added to your dish in last ¾ - 1 hour of cooking when cooking on High, or 2 hours if cooking on Low. Hard, starchy vegetables like potato and carrots are best added around 3 hours before the meal is done if cooking on High, and 4 hours on Low.

Onion - the One Ingredient You Must Pre-Cook Before Adding to Your Slow Cooker! Never add onions to a slow cooker dish that you haven't sautéed first – I find you get that slight raw onion flavour throughout and it just ruins the dish for me. I really think it's worth the extra effort.

Easiest to digest, or get used to would be chicken breast and white fish, poached or lightly sauteed (I don't mean undercooked). From there I would suggest pork, heavier fish like salmon then leading to beef, lamb and so on.

So, in conclusion, slow cookers are great. They're a convenient, cost-effective, and versatile kitchen appliance that can be used to make a wide range of delicious meals with minimal effort. Whether you're cooking for your partner or entertaining guests, a slow cooker is nice to have in any kitchen.

The answer is yes. LiveStrong says cooking your food too long in a slow cooker can cause the ingredients to shrink and lose any tenderness they once had. However, other ingredients might turn mushy, which is also something no home cook is looking to achieve.

And for solo cooks or families of two, a small slow cooker or a mini slow cooker offers the convenience of the appliance without taking up too much space in the kitchen. “Small slow cookers such as the 1 to 1.5-quart models are a great option for those cooking meals for one,” says Grainer.

Because of the lower temperature, the nutrients in the food remain more stable than other methods of cooking. By virtue of being in sealed unit, whether using an electric slow cooker or in a casserole dish in your oven, any of the nutrients usually lost in the liquid from heat are simply reabsorbed into the meal.