Hoppin’ John is a fabulous Southern rice and beans dish that is traditionally served on New Year’s Day. Hoppin’ John is so ubiquitous to the South that there are as many recipes, traditions and legends surrounding the dish as there are cooks who serve it. Traditionally, Hoppin’ John is a stew of black-eyed peas, onions and smoked pork (bacon or ham) that is served over white rice. Some cooks add celery, hot peppers, and seasonings such as thyme, bay leaf or cajun spices. Others leave Hoppin’ John plain. The oldest surviving printed recipe dates back to 1847, although there are references to the stew in letters and literature before this.
Serving Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring prosperity and good luck in the New Year. Most southern cooks serve it with turnip, mustard or collard greens, which are also supposed to bring wealth in the New Year. Some cooks add a coin to the dish and whoever gets the coin is supposed to have the most luck of all. Other cooks put a coin under each plate before serving Hoppin’ John.
Most of the traditional ingredients in Hoppin’ John are low oxalate, so I didn’t do much to my version to tweak the oxalate content. Many modern cooks use celery and green pepper in Hoppin’ John, which you can use in moderation if you wish. I choose to substitute chopped kohlrabi or broccoli stems and red bell pepper to keep the oxalate down. I also prefer to make Hoppin’ John with a smoked ham hock or bacon, but it’s also a fabulous way to use up the left-over ham from Christmas. These meats are pretty interchangeable without changing the final result too much.
Enjoy your Hoppin’ John and good luck in the New Year.
Hoppin’ John
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large ham hock (or 1/2 pound bacon or smoked ham)
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup kohlrabi, chopped (or peeled broccoli stems, chopped)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3-5 cloves)
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 quart low oxalate chicken broth (or more if you like a soupier stew)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper (UK readers click here)
salt to taste (I usually let people salt at the table since the pork is usually already salty)
1/8 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (optional)
3 cups long-grained white rice, cooked
Heat the oil in a large soup pot, then add the ham hock and sear on all sides for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, kohlrabi, red pepper, and garlic and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the black-eyed peas, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring the Hoppin’ John to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour, or until the peas are tender but not mushy, stirring occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or chicken broth. Pull the ham off the bone if using ham hocks. Adjust the seasonings to taste, and garnish with green onions if using. Serve over the long-grain rice.
Makes 10 servings.
Menu Planning: New Year’s Dinner in the picture above is a Southern soul food feast with Hoppin’ John, corn bread, collard greens and creamed corn. I like to add fried catfish (in corn meal batter), and Wow! Southern low oxalate cooking at it’s best (although do go easy on the corn bread).
Low Oxalate Info: All ingredients in Hoppin’ John are low oxalate. One serving of Hoppin’ John has about 4.6 mg. oxalate per hearty serving (1/10 of the above recipe).
Other Diet Info: Hoppin’ John may also be appropriate for gluten-free, dairy-free, and GFCF diets.
Photo credits go to Sleepneko for New Year’s Dinner and January 1, 2011.
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