Satisfying and comforting Indian inspired vegetarian dish packed with protein and full of flavor thanks to warm spices.
Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas is the perfect hands-off recipe for a busy week night. Warm, comforting and jam-packed with nutrients, it works well with just about any vegetables you have on hand. In fact, we rarely make it with the same ingredients twice for that very reason!
Credit must be given where credit is due – the inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend Jamie, a fellow Michigan food blogger, who shared this recipe on Thrifty Veggie Mama.
The reason I fell in love with this recipe is because of its versatility. Sweet potatoes can easily be swapped for butternut squash or white potatoes. Cauliflower can be substituted with green beans. Red peppers can be replaced with diced tomatoes.
Let the season and your produce drawer inspire you.
Your fork is waiting.
- 4 cups cauliflower cut in florets
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts quartered
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce low sodium
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne optional
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- salt and pepper to taste
- plain yogurt cilantro, sriracha and scallions - optional garnishes
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Place vegetables, chickpeas, tomato sauce, coconut milk, chicken broth and spices in the slow cooker and heat on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
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Before serving stir in green peas to warm.
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Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
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Serve over brown rice or grain of choice (or on own) with yogurt, cilantro and scallions. Sriracha doesn't hurt either.
Salt amount will depend on curry powder. We use a salt-free curry powder so we ended up adding about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. If you're not using a salt-free curry powder, you may need less.
Hello,
Can anyone recommend an alternative to Brussels sprouts in this recipe please? I’m looking forward to making it but don’t like sprouts !!
You could just leave them out!
I use Parsnips and/or Leeks rather than sprouts.
Great idea!
After seeing all the glowing reviews I look forward to giving this a try :)
Quick couple of questions if you don’t mind…
First, how do you think the recipe would hold up if I used 1 cup coconut milk instead of 1/2 coco milk and 1/2 stock? Would it throw the balance off, or just make the curry a bit richer?
Second, do you think it’d be ok to buy froze Brussell Sprouts, Cauliflower, etc and let it thaw in the fridge before cooking, or do I need fresh?
Thanks again for the recipe, and I shall come back to rate later :)
Hi Chris – You can definitely add more coconut milk! Great idea! And yes frozen would work but you should add it just 1 hour before eating as frozen vegetables are already cooked so slow cooking them for an additional 4-8 hours would make them really mushy and you’d just end up with one big bowl of mush. Fresh would be best for a slow cook process. Enjoy!
This was such a gorgeous curry, I’m so impressed. I’ve only used my slow cooker for a stew, but really wanted to make a good curry and found this recipe, I put all the ingredients in the slow cooker before work and half expected to get home and have to rustle something else up, I didn’t expect to get the spices right first time, but it was fantastic, me and my Hubby really enjoyed it, I’m vegan so I had some soya yogurt on top which worked perfectly. I can’t wait to make it again (also I’m in the UK so had no idea what the tomato sauce was so used tinned tomatoes and it was ace!!!) thanks so much for a fab dinner :)
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed this!! I’m really glad your husband liked it too!!
This was so perfect and yummy after a long day at work. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marla!
I didnt use the tumeric and still had wonderful results. Little yogurt, siracha and homemade naan !! Delicious
Ahh that sounds amazing!!!
Holy cow. I make recipes I find online all the time but have never felt compelled to comment until now. Followed the recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious. Wow WOW! Thanks!!
Oh my gosh thank you so much – that truly means the world to me! Let me know if you try any other recipes of mine Lauren!!
I made this the other day, and when I left the crockpot, I was worried there wasn’t enough liquid in the mix, but it cooked down perfectly. I love the idea of adding brussels sprouts to the mix and would probably add an additional sweet potato next time.
I followed the recipe to a T (which I don’t often do), and I found the spice mix just didn’t work well. I did the Tbsp each of cumin, turmeric and curry powder, as well as a heaping 1/2 tsp of cayenne, and it was just overly strong and bitter tasting. When I tried it, I re-checked the recipe to see if I mis-read Tbsp for tsp but no. I typically love the intense flavors of indian food but this one was strong in a not good way. I added a bunch of yogurt to the actual dish, served it over quinoa, added the garnishes, and then added some additional cucumber/dill greek yogurt dip that I had as a topping, and that improved things but still just didn’t have a balanced flavor at the end of it. I have no idea where I went wrong. I would love to try this again, because it was so easy, so veggie-filled, and a wonderful texture, but I will try with a different blend of spices next time. Maybe I should have gone with the garam masala replacement as suggested? We were gone all day so I ended up cooking it for 10 hours on low. I wouldn’t think that that would affect the outcome, though…? Everyone else seems to have loved it with this blend so I don’t know what happened.
Hi There! I’m so glad you tried this recipe. You rarely need to add liquid to slow cooker recipes because unlike stove-top cooking, water doesn’t evaporate while cooking because of the lid/steam. With regards to the spice levels, one thing I’ve noticed that varies from person to person is the brand of spices you purchase. Specifically the curry powder. I know some curry powders are salted, some aren’t. Some are spicy, some aren’t. Perhaps that is part of the reason. Hope that helps!
We’ve recently just turned to a whole foods lifestyle and was searching the Internet for a really good slow cooker curry recipe when I came across your website. This curry is amazing!!!! So good and something I’ll make again and again! Thank you!
Oh I’m so glad Jaime!! My website is full of whole foods recipes- Let me know if you try anything else!
Hello
I just made this and was yummie. It taste great
Marco
Ridderkerk, The Netherlands
I’m so glad to hear it Marco!!
I’d love this in an actual vegetarian version, as it seems like it would be delicious, but this uses chicken broth, and the last time I checked, chickens were animals – so not vegetarian. Has anyone tried this with a slightly lower amount of vegetable stock, maybe? Sounds like it would be thinner with stock than broth.
“Indian inspired vegetarian dish packed with protein and full of flavor thanks to warm spices”
Hi Jeff – You can make this dish with equal parts vegetable stock. Enjoy!
Thanks so much. I tried it- here in the rainy, cold UK -and it was warming and delicious. Will make the chicken curry next!
Oh I’m so glad!!!
Could I cook this dish in the simmering oven of my Aga?
You can cook in an oven all day no problem – keep low or warm?
Quite possibly the best veg curry I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for this incredibly easy and delicious recipe!
Oh I’m so thrilled Sarah!!
So I received a crockpot for my wedding over two years ago, and it’s been happily sitting on the top of my cupboard collecting dust ever since.
Your recipe has me finally breaking it out to use it! It’s been one of those items on my to do list forever, but it’s so hard to break into new habits.
I was so torn between the chicken curry and this option. Decided this would make a better side dish for my work potluck. Thanks!
How did it come out?? It’s one of my favorites too!! I hope you enjoyed it!
Easiest curry I have ever made. I did not have canned tomato sauce so I used spaghetti sauce LOL and it STILL came out awesome! Definitely needed to add salt and pepper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Made this tonight and it was fabulous. I cooked it on high and found it needed 4.5 hours to really be done.
Added 3/4 of a cup of regular raisins. Splendid, especially with the Siracha and the yogurt. YUM. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it Sheilah!!! Love the idea of raisins too!
Can this be called a vegetable curry with chicken stock in it? Seems to me a few vegetarians may have a problem with this….
Just use your loaf and substitute chicken broth for veg stock cube! Duh!
Great idea!
This was absolutely divine, thank you so much! Have made it twice in the last week for my husband and I, and I get three lunches for work out of it as well.
Oh I’m so glad to hear! It’s one of our favorites too. :)
Hello, what is a 15 ounce can of tomatoe sauce in the slow cooker vegetable curry receipe? It’s also doesn’t say where to add. Thanks!
Hi Tracy – Sorry about that, I revised the recipe to tell you to include it!!
Thanks! Can you use tomatoe concentrate? :-)
Absolutely!! Any tomato product works perfectly!
Hey!
Wondering if to make for a crowd of 8-10, should I double this recipe?
This recipe is BOMB. It was the first thing I made in my new slow cooker! I followed it almost exactly, except I doubled the broth because I wanted it to be more like a little more soup-like. Brussels sprouts were a great idea that I normally wouldn’t think of for a curry, but they totally work.
So glad you enjoyed it!! One of my favorites too!
I noticed that you say that you can replace the butternut squash with sweet potatoes, but I don’t see either in the recipe. Could you tell me how much to add of these? Thanks! Looks delicious!
My apologies Michelle! I just updated the recipe to include the sweet potato! You only need one large potato but you could easily add more if you wish. :-)
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try it!
I made this this weekend. I ended up being heavy handed with spices and adding all the yogurt to the mix to melt in at the end.
mmmmmm. Over quinoa. AMAZING!
That sounds out of this world Michelle!!!
I was looking for healthy recipes and came across your wonderful website. I wanted a crock pot recipe and this one hit the nail on the head. Thanks…
I made this today and it was a HUGE hit! I changed out the veggies and used garam masala instead of turmeric/cumin. So delicious!
I ended up not adding chicken, but I might try it next time!
Thank you! Very good and a little spicy. Perfect. :) One question? Serving Size is 3 Cups? ;)
I can’t wait to try out the other recipes. This is the perfect time of the year for slow-cooker recipes with all the running around we have to do.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Yes it is 3 cups… Not enough? I usually eat it over brown rice. :-) So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Liz for you reply. I was thinking that it couldn’t be 3 cups per serving… I can eat about one and be stuffed. Really enjoyed this recipe. Will add to my fav’s for sure! :)
LOL! Here’s the thing – I hate it when healthy recipes are low calorie because they “Make 200 servings” that are half a thimble in size – you know? I would rather over estimate. ;-)
LOL! OK :) TY!
Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog and I’m excited to try new recipes! Do you think I could use garam masala in place of cumin and turmeric? It would be a different taste I guess….but that’s all I have on hand!
Have you ever tried adding chicken?
Yes absolutely!! Garam masala is perfect in this dish. I’ve never added chicken but I am confident it would be delicious. Will you keep me posted?
Thanks! Trying it tomorrow!
This look so delicious! I love the combo of curry and coconut milk plus all those veggies!
I’m a BIG fan of curry! I seriously need more slow cooker recipes. Can’t wait to action this recipe!
It’s so tasty and easy! Love crock pots!! Let me know what you think. :-)
This looks delicious! I’m a big fan of curries. I hope to be adding more to my blog in time :)
I love curries too and don’t make them enough! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Yes, please! I’ll take some!
Loving the flavors in this one. I’m all over it. My printer’s broken right now, so I’ll be bookmarking this one. :)
I hope you like it- we gobbled it up and even enjoyed leftovers for lunch! So good and healthy!
This sounds like a perfect (and easy) weeknight dinner!
It is!! We always save it for our busiest night of the week!
Love all the veggies and spices in this! And, for sure I won’t forget the siracha :-)
The sriracha is key. :)
I love this. I’m really trying to get that slow cooker in the rotation a couple times a week, this sounds so good!
I hope you try this- so good and works well with any veggies on hand!! Don’t forget the sriracha. ;-)
Hello, I love this delicious recipe! It is now my go-to meal during the week as I can put it on in the morning and have dinner ready for the family when I come home from work. I have one question: does the nutritional information that you provide include the greek yogurt and toppings?
No it doesn’t – great question. So glad you enjoy it!
Loved this dish! Do you think leftovers would freeze okay to be used later?
Totally!!