These slow cooker savory delights are meatless for the vegetarians among us, or for those of us who simply don’t eat meat every night. (Oh, ok — for those of us who just want to be able to have that pint of ice cream after dinner.)

I have made all of these recipes pareve for you, but if you are really serious about being a slow-cooker aficionado, you’ll have two or three cookers: one for meat, one for dairy, and even a pareve one. So if you happen to have a dairy slow cooker, you can add cheese for that extra gooey goodness. (If you stick with a pareve cooker, you can add the cheese just before serving.) When you make my White Bean Soup with Lemon and Garlic Ryebread – top the bread with sliced or shredded cheese, or make a simple garlic butter spread. Add a little sour cream for a garnish on the Mexican Black Bean Soup with Spiced Tortilla Chips, or top it with cheddar.

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 1/2 hours
  • Serves: 4 to 6
  • Yield: 6 cups
  • Kosher Designation: Pareve
  • Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound cholent mix, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer, preferably lager
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground oregano
  • 1 tablespoon mexican hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

Preparation:

  1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours

Curried Chickpea Stew

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 1/2 hours
  • Serves: 6
  • Yield: 8 cups
  • Kosher Designation: Pareve
  • Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (1-inch) pieced fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 2 cups (defrosted) cauliflower florets

Preparation:

  1. In a crock pot, combine all ingredients except cauliflower. Cook on low for 7 1/2 hours. Add cauliflower and continue to cook on low for 30 minutes more.

White Bean Soup with Lemon and Garlic Cornbread

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours and 10 mins
  • Total Time: 6 1/2 hours
  • Serves: 6
  • Yield: 8 cups
  • Kosher Designation: Pareve
  • Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped, plus 1 whole for bread
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans great northern beans
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 slices seeded corn bread
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

  1. In a crock pot, combine onion, carrots, celery, chopped garlic, tomatoes, beans, broth and bay leaves. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  2. Prepare cornbread just before serving: Broil bread on high for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately rub with whole garlic cloves to infuse with flavor.
  3. Add spinach and lemon zest to crockpot and stir to combine just before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Spiced Tortilla Chips

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 1/2 hours
  • Serves: 4
  • Yield: 6 cups
  • Kosher Designation: Pareve
  • Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients:

    For Soup:
  • 1/2-pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to add a little kick
    For Chips:
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 cups corn tortilla chips

Preparation:

  1. In a crock pot, combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or until beans are tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until a few chunks remain but mostly smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine chili powder and coriander. Spread out tortilla chips on a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with spice mixture and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until warm. Serve immediately with soup.