Slow Cooker Summer Vegetables

By: Shannon Epstein

This slow cooker summer vegetables recipe will come in handy when it’s too hot to heat up the kitchen. Instead of using your stove-top or oven, grab your favorite summer vegetables and toss them in the slow cooker. This easy vegan-friendly veggie recipe uses a homemade sauce that is also low-carb, paleo and Whole30 compatible. Instructions to make this healthy summer side dish in the Instant Pot are also included. 

Summer is quickly approaching which means I will use my slow cooker even more than I normally do. I don’t know about you but when it’s warm outside, the last thing I wan to do is cook in a hot kitchen. This is why slow cookers are great appliances to use use during warmer months.

Ingredients For Slow Cooker Summer Vegetables

  • Vegetables (see below for more info)
  • Diced Tomatoes In Juices
  • 1 lemon
  • Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce
  • Oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
  • Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder 

collage of ingredients for slow cooker summer vegetables

How To Make Summer Vegetables In The Crock-Pot

Slow Cooker

  1. Add diced tomatoes to bottom of the slow cooker. Add summer vegetables on top of the diced tomatoes.
  2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce into the slow cooker making sure all the vegetables are covered. Stir now if you want to or stir after it’s done cooking.
  3. Cook HIGH 3 hours or LOW 6 or until vegetables are soft.
  4. Stir before serving if you haven’t already.

Instant Pot

  1. Pour water in the water & add the steamer basket to the pressure cooker. Place vegetables in the steamer basket.
  2. Close & lock lid. Cook high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure.
  3. Remove vegetables & the steamer basket. Pour out the water.
  4. Turn the pressure cooker to saute. Add the diced tomatoes and sauce ingredients. Stir in the vegetables and cook approximately 3-5 minutes.
overhead shot of uncooked summer vegetables in a black slow cooker
before

What Type Of Vegetables To Use

The sky is the limit when it comes to picking out the vegetables for this recipe. As usual, I encourage you to use your favorite vegetables but some work better than others. Sturdy, root vegetables are best because they hold their shape during the cooking process. Trust me, the last thing you will want is an appliance full of mushy vegetables. If you’re going to use a more delicate vegetable like zucchini squash, or bell peppers, cut them into larger chunks than you normally would. This will help hold their shape. I used: 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup baby carrots. Other suggetsions include onion, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and mushrooms. 

close up shot of cooked vegetables

FAQs & Tips

  • This is the vegetable combination that you see in the pictures: 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup baby carrots. Other suggetsions include onion, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and mushrooms. 
  • Adjust the sauce to your liking. For example if you think it needs more salt, add more salt. If it needs more sour, add more lemon juice. It’s okay if the sauce doesn’t cover all the vegetables when this first starts to cook in the slow cooker.
  • Serve this as a side dish or as a main course. For a main course, I would suggest serving this over your preferred pasta or rice. 
  • Cooking time is complete when the veggies are soft. Every time I make this it looks different because I never use the exact same vegetables.
  • Stir your vegetables before they cook or afterwards once they’re done. When you stir doesn’t matter.
  • Nutritional info is only included for the sauce & diced tomatoes since the recipe calls for whatever vegetables you want to use.
  • I use a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

Summer Side Dishes 

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Slow Cooker Summer Vegetables

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This slow cooker summer vegetables recipe will come in handy when it’s too hot to heat up the kitchen. Instead of using your stove-top or oven, grab your favorite summer vegetables and toss them in the slow cooker. This easy vegan-friendly veggie recipe uses a homemade sauce that is also low-carb, paleo and Whole30 compatible. Instructions to make this healthy summer side dish in the Instant Pot are also included.

  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds your favorite vegetables, chopped if needed
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water (for Instant Pot)

SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1. Add diced tomatoes to bottom of the slow cooker. Add summer vegetables on top of the diced tomatoes.
  2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce into the slow cooker making sure all the vegetables are covered. Stir now if you want to or stir after it’s done cooking.
  3. Cook HIGH 3 hours or LOW 6 or until vegetables are soft.
  4. Stir before serving if you haven’t already.

Instant Pot

  1. Pour water in the water & add the steamer basket to the pressure cooker. Place vegetables in the steamer basket.
  2. Close & lock lid. Cook high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure.
  3. Remove vegetables & the steamer basket. Pour out the water.
  4. Turn the pressure cooker to saute. Add the diced tomatoes and sauce ingredients. Stir in the vegetables and cook approximately 3-5 minutes.

Notes

Nutritional info is only calculated for the diced tomatoes & the sauce

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 74
  • Sugar: 2.7 g
  • Sodium: 453.1 mg
  • Fat: 4.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
  • Fiber: 0.9 g
  • Protein: 0.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Meet The Author

Hi, I’m a home cook from Los Angeles. I received a slow cooker as a wedding gift in 2011, but it wasn’t until six months later, facing my highest weight and hypertension, that I started using it. Follow me to learn more about my journey to healthier living and discover delicious recipes along the way.

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7 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Summer Vegetables”

  1. OMG, not only was this fantastic, but you provided InstaPot instructions. Thank you so very much for your hard work! This is on repeat!!

  2. I have become pretty big on crockpot recipes for the summer because I hate using the oven and making the house hotter. This was right up my alley.

  3. Evoo is not mentioned in instructions. Do I add it into the crock? Or is it for serving?

  4. It seems you need a lot more liquid than you have here to “cover the vegetables”. Should the liquid be higher than my vegetables (it seems like it is from the pictures)? I have half the vegetables and the full liquid and I’m not even close! Crockpot is on now though so hopefully it turns out as delicious as it looks! Thanks for posting!

    1. The vegetables will not fully submerge in the liquid. With slow cooking, liquid does not evaporate, it stays in the pot. You’ll see there will be a lot more liquid when this is done cooking.

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