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    Home » Hoppin' John

    December 14, 2017 Holiday

    Hoppin' John

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    Oh, Hoppin' John: this Southern beans and rice dish has been a hot topic of discussion over the years. From Sean Brock to Paula Dean, it seems like every Southern chef has tried their hand at capturing the perfect recipe for this New Years staple.

    Jump to Recipe

    Hoppin John

    And I've tried them all over the years, searching for the Hoppin' John recipe that was just right.  Eventually, all of the Hoppin' John recipes blurred together in my mind, and I was no longer experimenting with any single recipe or style, but my own amalgamation of everything I tried and loved or learned from when making Hoppin' John for our New Years Day meal.

    Hoppin John

    Beautiful Sea Island Red Peas

    The most important thing I learned was to NOT use black eyed peas.

    what?!

    Yeah, that's right.  Don't use black eyed peas in Hoppin' John.  The flavor is too strong and unbalanced.  The texture too dry unless you luck out and get the perfect bag of dried beans or are able to find fresh beans, and even then ... meh.  Don't use black eyed peas.

    Hoppin John

    No black eyed peas?? Then how do I make Hoppin' John?

    Use red peas.  That's right: red peas. They are mild but not without flavor, and the texture is delightfully tender without turning to mush on a whim.

    Eat poor, be rich

    I buy mine directly from Anson Mills. <-- That's not an affiliate link, nor do I have any affiliation at all with them.  I'm sharing it because they are the best, and that's all there is to it.  While you're there though, pick up a bag of Carolina Gold Rice and perhaps some Benne Seeds.

    Hoppin John

    Hoppin' John should be a combination of three things: rich mildly-smokey flavor with distinct, tender beans ( no mushy beans! ) in a thick sauce that can be mixed up with the rice and sopped up with Jiffy cornbread.

    Jiffy, y'all. No shame in my game here.

    Hoppin John

    What to serve with Hoppin' John?

    If you've never made rice the traditional Lowcountry way then I highly suggest you check it out to serve with your New Years Hoppin Jon. It's life-changing:

    How to Make Carolina Gold Rice

    And don't forget to serve your Hoppin' John with some steamed collard greens topped with pepper sauce!

    Hoppin John

    Each poor, be rich in the New Year with this classic Southern Lowcountry rice and beans dish: Hoppin John.
    4.29 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Southern
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 5 servings
    Calories: 381kcal
    Author: Basil and Bubbly

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Red Peas soaked overnight or quick soaked
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 small yellow onion diced ( about ¾ cup diced onion )
    • 1 rib celery quartered
    • 1 carrot quartered
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 garlic cloves diced
    • 4 strips thick cut bacon sliced into ¼" pieces

    Instructions

    • In a large stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces for 5 minutes.
    • Add the diced onion and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onion softens.
    • Stir in the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
    • Add the red peas, broth, and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and let simmer uncovered for one hour, stirring occasionally.
    • Now, mash up about ⅓rd of the beans in the pot. You can remove ⅓rd of the beans with about ⅓rd of the liquid with a ladle and blend them in the blender, or you can put your stick blender directly into the pot and blend until about ⅓rd of the beans are blended into the pot. The latter is my preference.
    Nutrition Facts
    Hoppin John
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 381
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Notes

    Serve over rice, with a side of corn bread and collards
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

     

    Hoppin John
    « Carolina Gold Rice
    Lemon Syllabub »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Harry says

      December 10, 2021 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe! I like very much that you keep it authentic by using Carolina Gold rice and sea island red peas. Anson Mills is the go-to site for purchasing these two ingredients, but unfortunately, their site requires purchasing in large quantities, so the casual cook gets discouraged by the cost. Up here in Massachusetts, where many don't even know what hoppin' john is, it's impossible to find these two important ingredients anywhere. I'll have to make do with generic white rice and small red beans. A trip to South Carolina to purchase these is on my bucket list, though!

      Reply
      • Patricia says

        March 13, 2022 at 10:29 am

        Harry, did you go to their wholesale page? LOL, they do have a retail page and sell one pound packages.

        Reply
        • Patricia says

          March 13, 2022 at 10:32 am

          Also try Marsh Hen Mills

          Reply
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