Hoppin’ John Recipe

Hoppin’ John originated in antebellum South Carolina. It is also referred to as Carolina Peas & Rice. A savory dish of peas and rice with bacon and vegetables.

The old South version was a simple recipe made up just of pork, field peas (black eyed peas) and rice. As with most things we’ve embellished it a bit today adding more ingredients. There are variations from person to person as well as regions of the South today.

It’s a tradition for many southerners to have Hoppin’ John as part of a traditional Southern New Year’s Day meal alongside a helping of greens to bring luck in the coming year. This tradition can be traced back to the war between the states.

I’m going to give you my traditional version as well as a short cut version. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. This is a hearty meal we enjoy during the cold winter months.

Southern Hoppin’ John Recipe

Ingredients

• Pancetta or Bacon, diced
• Bell Pepper, diced
• Yellow Onion, diced
• Celery, diced
• Garlic, minced
• Jalapeno (ribs and seeds removed), diced
• Black Eyed Peas
• Ham, cubed
• Chicken Stock
• Water
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Bay Leaf
• Rice

Creative Black Eyed Peas Recipes

Soak dried peas for 6 hours or overnight. Drain before using.

In a large stock pot, saute pancetta or bacon over medium heat. Add cubed Ham. Cook until the fat is rendered from the meat.

Add the diced vegetables and garlic. Saute until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and water. Next, add the seasonings and bay leaf.

Add the black eyed peas.

Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and cook an additional 20 minutes. Simmer longer if needed to reduce the amount of liquid.

Southern Style Hoppin John

4 from 11 votes

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Hoppin’ John

Hoppin John is a traditional Southern dish of peas and rice with vegetables and ham. This is often served as a new year traditional meal.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 Side Dish

Calories: 244kcal

Author: Julia Jordan

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb Pancetta or Bacon diced
• 1 Large Bell Pepper diced
• 1 Large Yellow Onion diced
• 1 c Celery diced
• 1 Clove Garlic minced
• 1 Jalapeno ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 1 lb Black Eyed Peas
• 1 c Ham cubed
• 4 c Chicken Stock
• 4 c Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper or to taste
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2.5 c Rice

Instructions

• Soak the dried black eyed peas overnight then drain before cooking.
• In a dutch oven or large pot, saute the pancetta (or bacon) over medium heat then add the ham and cook until the fat drippings have rendered from the meat.
• Next, add the vegetables and garlic then saute for five minutes.
• Next, add the chicken stock and water then the seasonings and a bay leaf.
• Next, add the black eyed peas.
• Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the peas are tender.
• Stir occasionally.
• Lastly, add the rice and cook and additional 20 minutes. Simmer longer if needed to reduce the amount of liquid.
• Serve as is or with a wedge of Southern skillet cornbread.
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 462mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g

Cajun Style Hoppin John

Try it with shrimp or slice smoked sausage to give this dish a Cajun twist.

See it at:
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday
Meal Plan Monday

About Julia

Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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