10 Fall Slow-Cooker Recipes

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The most perfect way to welcome fall is with a slow cooker. The smell of something delicious simmering away on your counter while you get your day started? It's the best way to start the season. The cooler months are here, and with them come pot roasts and braised meats. But who says slow cooking can't be a delicious way to get dinner on the table? Here are ten of our favorite fall recipes.

Slow-cooker chili

Chili is one of those dishes that can be made in a million different ways, but with a few simple ingredients, this slow-cooker version is sure to become a new favorite.

• Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional)

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 28 ounces diced tomatoes with liquid (such as Muir Glen) to make 3 cups of chopped tomatoes; use the whole can if you don't want to dirty another bowl. 

Start by sauteing the onion and garlic in a little bit of oil for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the chili powder, tomato paste (if you'd like), cumin, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Stir together until well combined.

Next add your chopped tomatoes and their juices into the slow cooker, followed by the sautéed ingredients. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours or until tomatoes are completely broken down and the mixture has thickened.

Slow-cooker butternut squash soup

In this recipe, you’ll learn how to make a simple butternut squash soup using the slow cooker. It is a perfect dish for fall when you want something warm and comforting without having to do much work.

• Roast the butternut squash: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler and cut it into 1-inch pieces, discarding any seeds. Toss the cubes in 2 tablespoons of oil and spread them out on one or two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until soft and slightly browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.*

• Make your puree: Scoop out all of the flesh from your roasted pumpkin (you should have about 4 cups) and transfer it to a food processor or blender.* Blend until smooth.* Add some salt if desired.* Transfer this mixture back into your slow cooker along with 4 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.* Cook until heated through (about 20 minutes).

Slow-cooker sweet potato and apple soup

• Place the sweet potato, apples, onion, garlic, and spices into a slow cooker.

• Cook on low for 8 hours.

• Add coconut milk and garnish with parsley.

Slow-cooker tomato soup

• Place the tomatoes, carrots, and celery into your slow cooker.

• Put on the lid and switch it on to low for 4-6 hours (add a little water if needed).

• When ready, blend until smooth using a hand-held blender or carefully with a food processor in batches; add salt to taste if desired before serving hot with croutons sprinkled on top if you like.

Slow-cooker mushroom barley soup

If you're looking for an easy recipe that can be made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, this is it. This soup would be perfect for those cold fall days when you want something warm but don't want to spend hours slaving over your stovetop.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound fresh button mushrooms, sliced

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill (optional)
• 8 cups of reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 cup water or sparkling water, or more to thin as desired (optional)

• 1/3 cup uncooked pearl barley (about 1/2 cup cooked)

Instructions: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender and juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Stir in herbs if desired. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Stir in broth and water; cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours. Stir in barley; cover and cook 30 minutes longer.

Warm and hearty slow-cooked chickpea stew

1. In a large slow cooker, combine the chickpeas, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in tomato paste until fully combined. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the chickpeas have absorbed most of the liquid from the tomatoes and are soft but not mushy. Before serving stir in chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (optional).

Slow-cooker vegetable tikka masala

Ingredients:

Slow-cooker vegetable tikka masala

• 2 cups diced tomatoes (about 3 medium)

• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 8 cloves)

• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper, or to taste in a slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, salt, and chili powder. Cook on Low until the onions are very soft and caramelized and the mixture has thickened considerably (this takes 6 to 8 hours on Low). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slow-cooker vegan tortilla soup

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover vegetables from your CSA or farmers’ market haul. You can even use frozen vegetables if you don’t have any fresh ones on hand—just make sure they are thawed and drained before adding them to the slow cooker.

For extra flavor, add your own spices when making this soup: cumin, cinnamon, and coriander would all be delicious in this vegan tortilla soup.

It’s also a great recipe for beginners because it doesn't require any fancy seasonings or lots of chopping beforehand; just toss everything into the slow cooker and let it simmer away for 4 to 6 hours, while you get other things done around the house.

Slow-cooker pinto beans with rosemary and sage

• 1 pound dried pinto beans

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling at the end of cooking

In a colander or strainer, rinse and sort the beans. Place them in the slow cooker with enough water to cover them by an inch or two (about 3 cups).

Soak overnight, then drain the water off before cooking. Add sage and rosemary sprigs and bay leaves to the slow cooker along with 4 cups of fresh water. Cook on low heat for 8 hours until tender but not falling apart.

Remove liquid from crockpot; discard herbs and drain beans thoroughly if necessary before returning them to crockpot with remaining liquid; season with salt if needed (you may want to add more during this process).

Heat through on high heat until bubbly again—this will take about 30 minutes—then serve hot drizzled with olive oil.

Crockpot lentil stew.

First things first: gather your ingredients.

You'll need

• 1 cup of lentils,

• 1 cup of brown rice,

• 2 large onions (or 1 small onion),

• 3 cloves of garlic (or 2 if it's garlic scapes instead),

• 6 cups of vegetable stock,

• 1 teaspoon each of thyme and cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Now chop up those onions into bite-sized pieces, mince those garlic cloves, peel, and chop up the carrots into chunks—you know the drill by now.

Then throw all those ingredients into your crockpot and add the vegetable stock until everything is just covered by liquid.

Set your crockpot on low for at least 6 hours or until everything is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving hot alongside some crusty bread or biscuits.

Fall calls for big flavors and slow cooking.

Fall is the season of big flavors, and these recipes are no exception.

These slow-cooked dishes are perfect for when you want to enjoy delicious meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Just add your ingredients to the slow cooker, set it, and forget about it!

So for those of us who love to cook but don't always have time, these recipes will give you all the flavor without any of the hassles.

To wrap it up

So there you have it. We've shared our favorite fall slow-cooker recipes with you, and we hope that you're able to use them to make your family's fall season even more delicious and cozy.

Fall is here and it's the perfect time to get your slow cooker out of storage and start cooking up some delicious meals.

Whether you're looking for something simple or something more gourmet, this list has got you covered. We're sure they'll be a hit with your family and friends.

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Here are a few of our favorites.

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