Southern Hoppin' John Recipe

Fun and tasty Southern Hoppin' John is packed full of flavor and wholesome ingredients. This traditional recipe will quickly become one of your favorites.

Course main meal pork

Cuisine Southern

Keyword hoppin john new years, how to make hoppin john, what is hoppin john

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 3673kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

8 ounces dried black-eyed peas or frozen
Water
1 ham shank or hock
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth vegetable stock or chicken stock
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 ½ cups long-grain rice uncooked
6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
½ red pepper chopped
½ yellow pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chopped green onion optional

Instructions

If using dried beans, rinse and soak the bean overnight in water. Cover the beans with 3 inches of cool water.
In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine the beans, ham shank, chicken broth, thyme leaves, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are soft.
Cook the rice according to the package directions.
When the beans are a little more than halfway cooked, brown the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is a few minutes away from being fully browned, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers. Stir several times. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Discard the ham shank or ham hock, and using a large slotted spoon so most of the liquid is left behind, add the black-eyed peas to the skillet with the vegetable mixture and heat through. Spoon the black-eyed bean/vegetable mixture over the rice. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with chopped green onions. Serve promptly.

Notes

Ham shanks and ham hocks are usually used for flavoring. Generally speaking, there is usually not much meat on them. If you happen to get a meaty one, trim it and add it to the beans.
Do not overcook the black-eyed peas. You just want to cook them till they are soft, so start checking after about 40 minutes.
In a hurry? Use minute rice or boil in a bag rice. It is easy, and it comes out perfect every time.
Any colored bell pepper will work however, I like the sweetness of the red ones, and yellow ones add a nice pop of color.
Other vegetables to add include tomatoes, scallions, or green onions.
Substitute lima beans, navy beans, or pinto beans for the black-eyed peas.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little bit of chicken broth or in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze, first cool completely, then place it in a sturdy freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.

Nutrition