Always a perennial favorite on the New Year's table, Hoppin' John is far too tasty a dish to relegate to just one day a year. Essentially a blend of rice, pork, and beans, this is one of those flavorsome recipes where the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It's a dish that delivers sweet, salty, and satisfying all in one pot. Many pages have already been written about the history and origins of this dish, so perhaps the only thing left to say is that comfort food doesn't get much better than this.
A rich wedge of homemade cornbread makes a fantastic accompaniment to this dish.
Ingredients for Hoppin' John
- dried black eyed peas
- olive oil
- smoked pork sausage
- onion
- celery
- garlic
- dried thyme
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- cayenne
- dried bay leaves
- chicken stock
- long grain white rice
- fresh scallions (for serving)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Using a large colander, rinse the dried beans under cold water, sorting out any debris. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Allow the beans to soak overnight. Then drain and set them aside.
Once the beans have been presoaked, prepare the sausage, onion, celery, and garlic.
Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and stir frequently to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the browned sausage from the pot, leaving the oil behind, and set it aside.
Then add the onions and celery to the hot oil remaining in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
Next add the garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for about a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
Return the browned sausage to the pot and add the presoaked beans and the chicken stock (or water and bouillon paste).
Bring the mixture to a boil. Then adjust the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the beans are only slightly firm.
Finally, add the rice and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Give the mixture a good stir. Then cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture rest, still covered, for about 10 minutes. When the rice has fully plumped and finished cooking, the dish is done.
Serve either hot or warm, discarding the bay leaves. Garnish with a generous sprinkling of chopped scallions over the top.
Hint: Recipes for this dish often call for the Cajun holy trinity, namely onion, celery, and green bell pepper...an aromatic flavor base that is foundational to Cajun and Creole cooking. While I prefer to leave out the green bell pepper (and to go pretty heavy on the onion), some folks would say the trinity is essential to the classic version. So if you happen to be a purist, feel free to toss in some chopped green bell pepper!
Storage
Hoppin' John will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Leftovers can be reheated either in the microwave or gently over the stove along with an added splash of chicken stock to help prevent sticking on the bottom.
Top tip
Thick-cut bacon makes a terrific substitute for the smoked pork sausage in this dish. Simply cut the bacon into lardons, and then cook until crisp before removing it from the pot.
📖 Recipe
Hoppin' John
Equipment
- 5.5 quart Dutch oven (or other large pot with a tight fitting lid)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black eyed peas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces smoked pork sausage cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large onion finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3 large cloves garlic finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne (or more to taste)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 8 cups chicken stock (or 8 cups water plus 3 scant tablespoons of Better than Bouillon paste)
- 1½ cups long grain white rice rinsed
- 3 or 4 large fresh scallions chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Using a large colander, rinse the dried beans under cold water, sorting out any debris. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Allow the beans to soak overnight. Then drain and set them aside.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and stir frequently to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the browned sausage from the pot, leaving the oil behind, and set it aside.
- Add the onions and celery to the hot oil remaining in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for about a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Return the browned sausage to the pot and add the presoaked beans and the chicken stock.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Then adjust the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the beans are only slightly firm.
- Add the rice and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Give the mixture a good stir. Then cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture rest, still covered, for about 10 minutes. When the rice has fully plumped and finished cooking, the dish is done.
- Serve either hot or warm, discarding the bay leaves. Garnish with a generous sprinkling of chopped scallions over the top.
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