Of all the traditional New Year’s recipes, Hoppin’ John is right up there with Peach Melba Pie and Sweet Tea. This Southern-Style dish is best with ham hocks, or just a huge ham bone to flavor the black-eyed peas!
It’s protocol to serve Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Eve, and we have the tried-and-true recipe that will make anyone look forward to the New Year!
What is Hoppin’ John?
There are many dishes thought to bring good luck for the New Year (and good luck dishes vary by region). Hoppin’ John is a delicious rice and beans dish thought to bring prosperity!
It is said that this welcome addition to your new year’s dinner table first appeared in 1847 in Sarah Rutledge’s “The Carolina Housewife” however, there is some debate as to how the name came about. No matter where the name came from, the recipe remains the same: black-eyed peas, hog jowl, ham hocks or a ham-bone, and some seasonings with rice.
Some recipes add different veggies, bacon, and more. I’ve kept this simple.
How to Make Hoppin’ John
With the beans prepped overnight you are ready to make this recipe in three simple steps!
- Saute veggies and seasonings until onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients, simmer until beans are tender.
- Serve this black beans mixture over seasoned rice.
Running Short on Time? See the recipe below for quick-soaking beans!
Extra Flavor
I add a bit of extra broth to this recipe and use it to cook the rice at the end. The broth is flavored with the ham bone making the rice extra delicious!
If you’re not going to cook your rice in the ham broth, reduce the cooking liquid by 2 cups in this recipe.
What to Serve with Hoppin’ John!
Why, cornbread, of course! Nothing is better than soaking up those delectable juices with a hunk of homemade cornbread! Steamed or boiled collard greans are a traditional side to serve with black eyed peas and ham, but a crisp, green salad with a tangy vinaigrette are excellent choices, too! If you are fresh out of cornbread, pre-packaged flour or corn tortillas will do in a pinch!
Leftovers
Treat Hoppin’ John just like any soup or stew-like entrée. Keep leftovers stored tightly covered in the refrigerator and simply pop into the microwave to reheat.
To freeze, just scoop it into quart-sized freezer bags after it is cooled to room temperature and don’t forget to label with the date!
Classic Southern Dishes
- Oven-Fried Chicken – crispy, juicy classic
- Frito Pie – a crowd-pleasing dish!
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo – vibrant, spicy comfort food!
- Shrimp and Grits – easy, cheesy & delicious
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings – made from scratch!
Hoppin' John
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried black eyed peas rinsed and sorted
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth low sodium *see note
- 1 ham hock or ham bone (see note)
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Soak black-eyed peas in cold water overnight (see note).
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and seasonings to a soup pot and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth, bay leaf, ham bone, and black-eyed peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 45-60 minutes or until peas are tender (see note on cook time).
- Once peas are tender, remove ham hock/bone. Ladle out 2 cups of the broth into a saucepan. Add rice to broth, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, add tomatoes with their juices and meat from the ham bone to the black eyed peas. Allow to simmer uncovered.
- Remove bay leaf and serve black-eyed peas mixture over cooked rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Ham, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
What about cooking the rice in with the peas? If so how long?
I’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it works out for you!
My first black eyed peas. It was delicious. Followed recipe as written
When was the ham hock added in the steps of the recipe?
I only see the removal.
Apologies for the confusion Vanessa, it should be added along with the broth.
Do you think I could mix some greens into this? Or would they be better served on the side?
We prefer to serve them on the side.
Could this be made in a crockpot? And what could I do to make it a little more spicy? I wanted to try makingthis for my Dad! ;)
I haven’t made this in a slow cooker but I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t work. You could add some diced jalapeno or even a pinch of cayenne pepper to up the heat.