Bouncing John! A classic southern dish to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The black-eyed peas bring good luck in the coming year.
In this recipe
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The star of Hoppin’ John
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The Story of Hoppin’ John
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make it vegetarian
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Storage and reheating tips
That year I fell in love with black-eyed peas. (The food. Already loved the band.)
They have a wonderful taste, almost smoky, even without bacon or ham. Earlier this past summer we added them to a salad with feta and spinach. So so good!
The dish black-eyed peas are best known for is Hoppin’ John. No idea where the name comes from. And depending on where you’re from, you might not even call it that. It’s just black-eyed peas and rice.
Hoppin’ John is one of those classic Southern dishes that has as many versions, stories, and flavors as there are cooks. At its core, however, Hoppin’ John consists of rice, black-eyed peas (or field peas), smoked pork, and onions.
Black-eyed peas are believed to bring good luck when eaten on New Year’s Day and are traditionally eaten with collards. (Want to make black-eyed peas from scratch? Here’s how to make them on the stovetop. How about our southern cabbage?)
So for this New Year I offer you a hot record of Hoppin’ John. May we all enjoy his happiness. Happy New Year!
The Story of Hoppin’ John
Black-eyed peas were native to Africa and were domesticated on the continent about 5,000 years ago. This humble little bean (yes, they’re beans, not peas as its name suggests) came to North America aboard slave ships.
We’re not exactly sure how they were associated with New Years, but we do know that black-eyed peas helped Southerners survive during the Reconstruction period. Black-eyed peas are also of cultural significance to Sephardic Jews celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Sometime after the Civil War, Hoppin’ John became a New Year’s meal of good fortune.
Along with rice, Hoppin’ John gives you all your complete proteins. There’s a Southern saying: “Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.” Having these delicious beans on your plate with some rice, cabbage, and cornbread sounds like great luck to me!
make it vegetarian
Instead of bacon grease, use your favorite cooking oil and sauté some sliced mushrooms to add more umami and a bit of smoky flavor.
To add more smokiness try smoked salt or a smoked paprika, add some fire roasted tomatoes and/or add some liquid smoke to the dish.
You can omit the pork and use a vegetable broth or broth to cook the black-eyed peas.
Storage and reheating tips
Hoppin’ John makes great leftovers. You can store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. Place the beans in a shallow container to let them cool completely before storing. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days and in the freezer for 3-6 months.
The leftover beans can be reheated in the microwave, but it’s best to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Cold black-eyed peas can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat. Just make sure you add a few tablespoons of chicken or vegetable stock to the pot beforehand.
More classic southern recipes
- Southern Cornbread
- Classic southern buttermilk biscuits
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Sweet tea fried chicken
- Hummingbird Cake
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Bouncing John
Many things can affect black-eyed pea cooking times. They can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to cook until tender, depending on their age, where they were grown, and the water used.
This recipe uses 1/2 pound of dried black-eyed peas (about 1 1/4 cups). You can use up to a pound of black-eyed peas without changing the amounts of the other ingredients. However, you will need to double the amount of water and possibly add more salt.
ingredients
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1/3 lb baconor 1 leg of ham plus 2 tablespoons of oil
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1 rib celeryrolled
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1 small yellow onion, rolled
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1 small green bell pepper, rolled
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2 cloves Garlic, chopped
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8th ounces dried black-eyed peas (about 1 1/4 cups)
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1 bay Sheet
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2 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 heaped teaspoon cajun spice
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Salt
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2 cups long grain rice
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spring onions or green onions, chopped for garnish
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Cooked KaleKale, beet tops or kohlrabi for serving
method
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Cooking Bacon, Celery, Onion, Green Peppers and Garlic:
If using bacon, cut into small pieces and cook slowly in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. If using a ham shank, heat the oil in the saucepan.
Once the bacon is crisp (or the oil is hot if you’re using a ham shank and not bacon), increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, onion, and green pepper and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add the black-eyed peas and spices:
Add black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme, and Cajun seasoning and cover with 4 cups water. If using the ham shank, add it to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peas are tender (not mushy) for 1 hour to an hour and a half (less or longer depending on the freshness of the black-eyed peas).
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Cook rice:
While the black-eyed peas are cooking, cook the rice separately according to packet instructions.
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Drain and season the peas:
When the black-eyed peas are tender, strain the remaining cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the black-eyed peas for salt and add if needed. If using a ham shank, remove it from the pot, discard the meat, and return the meat to the pot.
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Serve with the rice:
Serve by either topping a ladleful of black-eyed peas over steamed rice, or tossing the two together in a large bowl. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve with collards, kale, beet tops, or kohlrabi.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 328 | calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 19g | protein |
