Healthy Slow Cooker Vegetables Recipe

How to cook slow cooker vegetables with potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots and mixed together to tender. Healthy Crockpot recipes served as an easy side dish.

I have cooked all sorts of veggies slow cooked in my day. Most of them are cut into bite size pieces but you can even cook a Whole Head of Cabbage in Slow Cooker too!! Let’s talk about how long to cook mixed vegetables in a Crockpot tonight though so you can pair them with dinner this week. (affiliate links present)

Why we love cooking vegetables in a slow cooker

I love prep, set and go meals. One I can throw in before running errands throughout the day or mid day to pair with my main dish. You can do this a number of ways; roasted in the oven, Air Fryer Vegetables or on the stovetop but if those are occupied it is great knowing I can throw a few into my Crock and have them tender with tons of flavor this way!

Crockpot Vegetables Ingredients

1. Baby carrots are easy to throw in and are already prepped in the bag.
2. Bell peppers don’t take long
3. Zucchini and/or yellow squash is fast too
4. Pearl onions or slices of larger ones go well with any combo really.
5. Salt and pepper are given seasonings but others such as thyme and onion powder are great too
6. You will need a bit of liquid like water, but vegetable broth is better to get them to steam.

Baked potatoes in Crockpot would need to be cut into small bite size chunks so they would get done at the same time as the others. I would suggest that these be added with firmer more sturdy varieties (listed below) unless you dice small with the squash blend mentioned below.

What vegetables are good for slow cooking?

You should keep like for like together so they cook at the same rate. Root will take the longest, firm can be added in with root if desired to add flavor. Squashes, tomatoes and bell peppers are the quickest. That is if you remove the rind and chop the inside flesh into large bite size pieces before adding in.

Root Vegetables

1. Crock pot Carrots will hold their shape well and become tender and sweet.
2. Potatoes; russet, Yukon Gold or red potatoes work well.
3. Sweet Potatoes become soft and develop a deep, sweet flavor.
4. Parsnips will add a slightly sweet, nutty flavor.
5. Turnips will provide a mild, slightly peppery taste.
6. Beets will retain their color and become sweet and tender.

Firm Vegetables

1. Slow cooker onions we add to everything and will add sweetness and depth of flavor. Can be used in slices or chopped.
2. Garlic can be added in with any of them adding a rich, savory flavor. Use whole cloves or minced.
3. Celery adds a subtle, earthy flavor and maintains some texture.
4. Slow Cooker Cauliflower is one of the firmest to start but softens up nicely and can be made cheesy.
5. Leeks will offer a milder, sweeter onion flavor.
6. Fennel adds a slight anise flavor that mellows with slow cooking.
7. Slow cooker cabbage will hold up well and add texture to any dish as well as a mild, sweet flavor.

Squashes and Other Vegetables

1. Butternut Squash with rind removed and chopped becomes sweet and creamy when cooked.
2. Acorn Squash will hold its shape well and has a mild flavor.
3. Pumpkin flesh adds a rich, sweet flavor to dishes.
4. Tomatoes will add acidity and richness, especially in sauces and stews.
5. Bell Peppers become sweet and tender, adding vibrant color and flavor.
6. Zucchini are the quickest to cook, don’t hold up well, can become quite soft
   • add towards the end of cooking if you prefer it less mushy.
7. Mushrooms will add an umami flavor and maintain their texture better with portabello vs. button
8. Corn kernels can be added to soups and stews for sweetness and texture.

How to Cook Slow cooker Vegetables and Potatoes

• Wash and chop the squash into large half moons if you want softer or dials if you want them to stay a bit more firm.
• Add them to a 6 quart slow cooker with the baby carrots.
• Wash and dice the bell peppers into 1” size pieces. Add them to the pot with the pearl onions.
• In a small jar or bowl, combine the olive oil and all the spices, pour over all the vegetables in the pot. Give them a good stir.
• Add in the broth and fresh thyme and stir.
• Cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours or until as tender as you’d like them to be.

In the case of those that you want to cook whole and keep the skin in tact (and not wet) like our Crockpot Sweet Potatoes you’d want to wrap those in foil after washing and poking with a fork. In this case you could add some olive oil to the skin with salt before wrapping but other than that seasonings will need to be added at the end.

Can you cook vegetables in a slow cooker without liquid?

No, you do need a bit of water or broth to get the steaming to start. Once it does most veggies will release some moisture that will add to that to help the process but to get it going you need some vegetable stock.

Can you cook meat and vegetables together in a slow cooker?

Absolutely you can but they should have the same cook time. We did this with bell peppers and spaghetti sauce instead of broth for a heartier dish when we made a batch of Crockpot Sausage and Vegetables for dinner. Great when served inside hoagie rolls!