Hoppin' John - New Year's Day Black Eyed Peas
Hoppin' John is as southern as it gets - creamy black-eyed peas cooked with bacon, onions, and garlic - served with a side of homemade cornbread and collard greens.
Servings: 8
Calories: 549kcal
Equipment
- a 5 quart dutch oven or a large pot
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, hickory smoked and thickly sliced
- 1 ½ cups celery diced (~4 stalks)
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion diced (~2 medium sized onions)
- 1 ½ cups green bell pepper diced (~2 small peppers)
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 3 - 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2-3 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 pound black eyed peas about 2 ½ cups dried
- 6 cups chicken broth or water + extra if needed
- 1 ham hock or a leftover ham bone
- 1-2 bay leaves
Optional
- tasso ham
- leftover ham or seasoning ham
- andouille or hot smoked sausage sliced
For Serving
- 2 cups white or long grain rice
- pepper vinegar
- 1 - 2 green onions finely sliced
Instructions
- Begin by dicing the bacon, onions, peppers, celery, and garlic.
- Heat a medium-sized pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- The first thing I like to do is cook the andouille sausage - it leaves behind some crispy bits & fat that flavor the beans. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and set it aside.andouille or hot smoked sausage
- Add bacon and cook until just about crispy. Add tasso or ham if using and cook for about a minute.6 slices bacon, hickory smoked and thickly sliced, tasso ham, leftover ham or seasoning ham
- Then add onions, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent.1 ½ cups celery, 1 ½ cups yellow onion, 1 ½ cups green bell pepper
- Then add minced garlic & jalapeño and cook for 1 - 2 minutes - you don't want the garlic to burn, just get aromatic.1 jalapeño, 3 - 4 garlic cloves
- Now add the thyme, kosher salt, and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and toss to coat the vegetables.1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2-3 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Next, add the black-eyed peas (rinsed and picked through for bad beans and rocks - but not soaked at all) and stir.1 pound black eyed peas
- Add ham hock, then cover with chicken broth. Stir, then add bay leaves.6 cups chicken broth, 1 ham hock, 1-2 bay leaves
- Now, bring broth to a rolling boil and stir. Then decrease the heat and keep the beans at a low simmer for an hour to an hour and a half. Toward the end of the cooking time, cook white rice according to the package directions - or use an Instant Pot to make Perfect White Rice.
- Remove the Hoppin' John from heat when the beans are cooked but not mushy.
- Serve right away with white rice, collard greens, and cornbread. Top with pepper vinegar and green onions if desired.2 cups white or long grain rice, pepper vinegar, 1 - 2 green onions
Notes
This recipe serves 8 - 10 as a side dish or 4 - 6 as the main course.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1960mg | Potassium: 695mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 502IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg