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Good Luck Hoppin' John

Good Luck Hoppin' John
Image Credit:
Sam Jones/Vaughn Communications
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
Makes 8 servings.
Category
Vegetables
Course
Side Dishes
Sources
Weekly Wisdom

Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s Day dish. It is said that eating this black-eyed peas dish on January 1 will bring luck all year long!

Traditionally, Hoppin’ John is a one-pot recipe. The Southern-style classic uses thick-cut bacon as opposed to a ham hock (which can overpower the dish).

We’ve kept the recipe simple, but you can certainly add other ingredients, including: finely sliced celery, chopped green pepper, sliced scallions, and chopped garlic. For more flavor, use chicken broth instead of water.

No matter what your variation, these three ingredients make a Hoppin’ John: the pork, the black-eyed peas, and the rice.

Wondering why it is called Hoppin’ John? Learn more at our Hoppin’ John page!

Ingredients
4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas or 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen black-eyed peas
1/2 cup white rice (Carolina Gold rice preferred)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon. Add onions until bacon is crisp and onions are soft. Add black-eyed peas, rice, 1 cup of water, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat until rice is cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes. Toss with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...

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