I’ve been taking a break from my blog (partially due to a break in my wrist!) but I couldn’t let the year go by without posting my recipe for Hoppin’ John.
A tradition in the South that is said to bring good luck in the coming year, I’ve been making this comforting dish of black-eyed peas with rice (and collards) ever since we moved to Charleston SC in the 1980s. It’s been a New Year’s Day tradition ever since. Most people serve the collards on the side, but I prefer to add them directly into the rice and black-eyed peas. I sometimes add fire-roasted diced tomatoes, too.
Serve topped with vegan sour cream, Tabasco, and sliced jalapenos. A side of cornbread makes a great accompaniment. I like to cook the collards and black-eyed peas a day in advance and then add them to the rice on New Year’s Day.
I hope you enjoy my recipe for Hoppin’ John and I wish you all the best in 2022. Happy New Year!
Hoppin’ John with Collards
1 tablespoon olive oil or 3 tablespoons water
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups vegetable broth or water
Salt
3 cups cooked or 2 (16-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
3 cups chopped cooked fresh or frozen collard greens, well drained
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained (optional)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus more to serve
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegan sour cream, to serve
Sliced pickled jalapenos (optional)
Heat the oil or water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and broth or water 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 10 minutes before the rice is tender, stir in the cooked black-eyed peas, the cooked chopped collards, tomatoes (if using), Liquid Smoke, Tabasco, and black pepper. Add more salt, if needed.
To serve, spoon into bowls and accompany with vegan sour cream, jalapenos (if using) and Tabasco at the table.
Two of my favorites variations are Hoppin’ John made in a slow cooker with a cornbread topping:
and Collard Rolls stuffed with Hoppin’ John, served with Tabasco-Sour Cream)…
