Happy New Year, everyone!
I have all the ingredients ready to make my New Year’s Day Hoppin’ John — a special Southern dish believed to bring good fortune in the coming year. I still haven’t decided whether to go the traditional route or to do something different with it. In years past, I’ve made it in a slow cooker topped with chipotle-spiced cornbread.
I’ve also rolled the Hoppin John in collard leaves, kind of like Southern halupki!
Usually, though, I just make it “straight up” although I typically stir the cooked collards right into the Hoppin’ John to make it a one-dish meal. Whichever way I serve it, I know there will be lots of Tabasco sauce on the side! Will you be making Hoppin’ John for New Year’s Day?
Hoppin’ John with Collards
Use fresh or frozen collard greens for this recipe. If unavailable, substitute kale or other dark greens.
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water or vegetable broth
Salt
3 cups cooked or 2 (16-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
3 cups chopped cooked collard greens
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegan sour cream, to serve
Tabasco sauce, to serve
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and water or broth and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste (the amount of salt needed depends on the saltiness of your broth or if you use water). Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. About 15 minutes into the cooking of the rice, stir in the cooked black-eyed peas. When the rice is cooked, stir in the cooked chopped collards, Liquid Smoke, and black pepper. Add more salt, if needed.
To serve, spoon into bowls and accompany with vegan sour cream and Tabasco sauce at the table.
Serves 4
{ 19 comments… add one }
I’m planning to make Hoppin’ John…maybe with the rice on the side, since I need to go easy on the starch. Love your blog and your cookbooks (Chard & Red Lentil Soup is one of our favorites!).
Pat, You can make it with less rice and more black-eyed peas and onions. It’s a tasty and healthy combination! So glad you enjoy my cookbooks and blog. Thanks.
Thanks for the tip…I hadn’t even thought of changing the ratios…Happy New Year! Hi to Gary.
Happy New Year from me and Gary! 🙂
I just came back from the store with ingredients for your HJ from Vegan ot Cheap book. Similar though it uses less black eye’s. I’ll have to try this one next time.
Happy New Year Robin and thank you for the post.
Stuart, The ratio of black-eyed peas to rice is flexible and depends on what you prefer. I like it in any ratio! Hope you enjoy. Happy New Year!
Love the wrapped in collards idea! Happy New Year!
Thanks, Jenn. Happy New Year to you!
I notice your beans look red – do black-eyed peas change color when cooked? I have thought about making this for New Year’s, but I’d feel a bit like I’m appropriating someone else’s culture since it’s never been a thing in my family, and I’ve never actually had hoppin’ john. But I make Thai food all the time and that’s nowhere near my culture either, so I should probably stop overthinking and try it. 😉 It looks yummy enough to eat even I don’t believe it’ll bring good luck.
Pat, It’s probably just the photo/monitor. The peas are a pinkish-beige when cooked, with their little “black-eyed” speck. To me half the fun of eating vegan food is exploring other culture’s cuisines. I’m not Southern by birth (just lived in the South for many years), but as you say, I enjoy Thai food too, just as much as Italian, or anything else. Besides, Hoppin’ John is basically just “rice ‘n beans”! 😉
Just want to wish you a very Happy New Year and also to all your followers. Let’s hope and pray that 2013 brings much love, joy, laughter, health and good fortune to you and yours.
Thanks, Connie. Happy New Year to you too!
And, the rolled Hoppin’ John in the collards looks phenomenal!!! That’s going on my to-do list!!! Thanks for all you do, Robin…..love your books. Keep ’em comin’!!!
Hey Robin, the version with the cornbread topping looks good. Is it in your new slow cooker book? I adapted a Cajun version of Hoppin John from a youtube vid switching out the smoked sausage for liquid smoke w/ rice on the side. And even though it’s the wrong day for it, I also made a big pot of Gumbo Z for the green. If it don’t bring me luck at least I got some good eats out of the deal. Thanks for the great recipes and a Happy 2013 to you and yours!
Hi M,
The version I used for that cornbread topped chili is explained in the post at this link: http://robinrobertson.com/slow-cooker-chipotle-cornbread-topped-hoppin-john-2/
I actually used a variation of a recipe in Vegan on the Cheap to make it.
I made a version of Hoppin’ John a few days ago, and just finished leftovers for my lunch today. Such a comforting dish. Your Chipotle Cornbread topped Hoppin’ John looks amazing. Will make this year, for sure!
I love Hoppin’ John! I need to make it more often throughout the year.
I made this tonight, everyone loved it! It was very easy to make. I cooked the black eyed peas on the stove and the collard greens in my pressure cooker. Thanks for an easy and healthy recipe!
You’re welcome Kelly. Glad you liked it. We’re getting ready to dig into ours now! 🙂