Vegan Hoppin' John Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Gena Hamshaw

December24,2013

4.5

6 Ratings

  • Cook time 3 hours
  • Serves 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This traditional Southern New Year's dish loses none of its characteristic flavor or heartiness when it gets a vegan makeover. —Gena Hamshaw

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 cupsblack-eyed peas, dried
  • 1 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 large stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 teaspoondried thyme, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoonsmoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoonsea salt
  • 4 cupsvegetable broth
  • one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cupsdried long-grain brown rice or brown basmati rice
  • 1 pinchcayenne pepper
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 green onions, green parts only, chopped
  • Tabasco sauce (optional)
Directions
  1. Place the black-eyed peas in a pot of water and soak overnight. Discard soak water.
  2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion, pepper, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add the thyme, paprika, and soaked/drained peas. Then add the vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the peas are tender but not mushy (about 35 to 50 minutes). If excess broth remains when the peas are cooked, you can gently pour it out of the pot. Strain the diced tomatoes and add them, along with the salt, to the bean mixture. Heat through. Check and adjust the seasoning with black pepper, cayenne, and salt as needed.
  4. While the beans are cooking, cook the rice according to package instructions. Fluff and set aside.
  5. Divide the rice into bowls. Top with the pea mixture and sprinkle evenly with green onion. Add a dash or two of Tabasco if desired.

Tags:

  • Southern
  • American
  • Celery
  • Paprika
  • Pea
  • Thyme
  • Green Onion/Scallion
  • Bean
  • Make Ahead
  • Christmas
  • Thanksgiving
  • Winter

Popular on Food52

17 Reviews

Kim W. January 2, 2022

I make a vegan Hoppin John every New Year's Day and I'm happy I found this recipe. I amped it up a bit with fresh thyme, smoked paprika, a little pepper, and red pepper flakes and added more celery and a diced carrot.
This recipe is simple and comforting and will go in my black-eyed peas rotation!

Julia S. August 21, 2020

My whole family LOVES this dish and Only 1 of us is a vegetarian.

BR95510 January 1, 2020

Excellent flavor!! I would say that it would serve more than six. We have plenty of leftover! (Would it freeze well?). I topped mine with some Harissa to zing it up on the plate and scattered the chopped chives over the top. It was a wonderful New Year's Day meal! This will stay in rotation and become a tradition for sure! Thanks for the great recipe Gena! Happy New Year!

Shannon V. January 1, 2015

My husband and I loved this and we had it just now for New Years. I will make this again. Thank you for sharing with us, Happy New Year!!!!

Marsha G. October 5, 2014

This was serviceable but I prefer Hoppin' John with pork.

Caroline S. February 16, 2014

Very nice. Much better then I expected. The paprika gave it a smoky flavour.

j. February 6, 2014

I'll definitely try this - it's a bit different from the hoppin' john recipe I've made for years. I usually add a couple tablespoonfuls of tamari to the sauteed onions step, plus, if I'm feeling fancy, some liquid smoke. Nancy - not sure when you posted your comment, so you might no longer be looking for a reply - but the Rapunzle and Organic Gourmet lines of boullion are pretty good. I personally usually combine one of the "no salt added" with the plenty o' salt added cubes to come out with a happy, not too salty medium.

twinjadojo January 2, 2014

I've always sort of dreaded black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, but these were absolutely delicious. My beans came out perfectly tender, and with none of the strong, off taste that I associate with them. I served them with braised collards, which I cooked with some of my extra bean liquor. The sweet vinegar from the collards was a perfect compliment to the beans. 2014 is off to a great (and hopefully lucky) start in my kitchen. Thank you!

Trees January 1, 2014

Just made this! I used canned black-eyed peas and served it with lemon-garlic quinoa and hot sauce. Great start to the new year!

Tom S. January 2, 2014

Trees: Recipe for lemon-garlic quinoa? Used the quinoa instead of rice? Thanks.

Trees January 2, 2014

I don't really use a recipe. Just add a squeeze of lemon and some minced garlic to the quinoa after it's done along with salt, pepper, and olive oil. All to taste, of course. I mix it up and let it sit in the pot for a while before serving.

Tom S. January 6, 2014

Thanks.

Erica January 1, 2014

This was delicious! Thanks for a delicious New Years Day lunch! Even my 3 1/2 y.o. asked for seconds :)

Whats4Dinner December 31, 2013

Along the lines of Tom's questioning, would frozen black-eyed peas do? I was thinking I could add them (thawed) maybe half way through the simmering veggies?

Ceege December 30, 2013

@ Nancy Charlton....As a Vegan, I have found that Kitchen Basic's vegetable broth (unsalted) is a great broth for most of my recipes. Hope this hint works out for you.

Nancy C. December 29, 2013

Do you have a recommendation for a veg broth that doesn't lend an off flavor to the food? On Christmas Day we had Brussels sprouts with bacon, which was served on the side as a sprinkle-on in deference to a vegan guest. I was thinking I could do this with the hoppin John too. Has anyone tried either and have any comments?

Tom S. December 29, 2013

Gena: Will canned black eyed peas work in this recipe? Thanks, Tom

Vegan Hoppin' John Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Hoppin John and black-eyed peas? ›

What's the difference between Hoppin' John and black-eyed peas? Hoppin' John has black-eyed peas in it, but it also has other ingredients. In this recipe, the black-eyed peas are stewed with onion, garlic, celery, and a ham hock, similar to how some Southern-style black-eyed peas would be cooked.

What do the ingredients in Hoppin John mean? ›

The ingredients in Hoppin' John have symbolic importance, and eating this dish on New Year's Day portends good fortune in the new year: black-eyed peas represent coins. collard greens represent greenbacks (dollars), or cash. corn bread represents gold.

What is leftover Hoppin John called? ›

On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny" and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

What is a substitute for black-eyed peas in Hoppin John? ›

Beans: Dried black-eyed peas are traditionally used in Hoppin' John, but if you're pressed for time, you can use either frozen or canned beans. Rice: Carolina gold rice is a nuttier, earthier strain of long-grain rice that's been a staple of the Lowcountry for centuries.

Why did slaves eat black-eyed peas? ›

Once in America, black-eyed peas were able to be planted by enslaved people in their gardens because they were viewed as a food for poor people, and were also used to feed animals. They were often used in soups, stews and fritters.

Why do people eat Hoppin John? ›

And our tastiest superstitious tradition is eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day. This classic Southern dish, a one-pot meal of black-eyed peas, ham hock, and rice, is believed by many (not just the Sterlings) to ensure wealth and bring good luck in the upcoming year.

What is a fun fact about Hoppin John? ›

Some say an old, hobbled man called hoppin' John became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston. Others say slave children hopped around the table in eager anticipation of the dish. Most food historians think the name derives from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons.”

What is the southern name for black-eyed peas? ›

In the Southern United States, eating black-eyed peas or Hoppin' John (a traditional soul food) on New Year's Day is thought to bring prosperity in the new year.

What is the difference between cowpea and black-eyed peas? ›

Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, are a common legume cultivated around the globe. Despite their name, black-eyed peas are not peas but rather a type of bean. They're generally very pale in color and feature a large black, brown, or red spot that resembles an eye.

Are black-eyed peas a pee or a bean? ›

Black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata) are a variety of cowpea and are part of the family of beans & peas (Leguminosae or Fabaceae). Although called a pea, it is actually a bean. Both peas and beans are legumes, and both have edible seeds and pods.

What are black-eyed peas called in Africa? ›

Called niébé in parts of the Sahel, the black-eyed peas are dubbed “miracle peas,” or “poor man's meat” in most of sub-Saharan Africa because of their high nutritive value and their ability to grow in harsh conditions.

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