Hoppin John Recipe

Hoppin John in a bowl, sprinkled with chopped green onions

Fluffy Carolina Gold rice, savory black-eyed peas, and smoky-sweet bacon give you a New Year's side dish full of good luck in my Hoppin John recipe!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Carolina Gold Rice, rice side dishes, southern side dishes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 13

Total Time 1 33

Servings servings

Calories 478kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thymes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 cups chicken broth, low sodium
4 cups frozen black-eyed peas. thawed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked Carolina Gold Rice
green onions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, cook the chopped bacon until it begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.
Add the onions (1½ cups), celery (4 stalks), bell pepper (1 cup), garlic (1 tablespoon), thyme (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and 1 teaspoon of salt. Saute the vegetables with the crisp bacon until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
Add the broth (8 cups) and thawed black-eyed peas (4 cups) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the black-eyed peas are tender, about 40 minutes.
Drain the mixture, reserving all the cooking liquid. Place the drained mixture back in the pot they were cooked in and add 1 cup of cooking liquid. Cover and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, toast the rice (1 ½ cups) in oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the rice becomes fragrant.
Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently until the cooking liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender.
Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, then add the rice to the black-eyed pea mixture.
Add the remaining cooking liquid, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the mixture reaches the desired texture. Sprinkle servings with sliced fresh scallions.

Notes

Vegetarian: Transform this Hoppin John recipe vegetarian in a snap! Just leave out the bacon (or swap for your favorite faux bacon!) and add a bit of cooking oil instead. Also, switch out the chicken broth for vegetarian stock.
Dutch Oven: Dutch ovens are great for cooking soups, stews, and other brothy recipes because they are durable, high volume, conduct heat well, and keep food heated for extended periods of time. If you don’t have one, though, a large pot will do just fine!
Carolina Gold: Named after the color of its harvest-ready fields, Carolina Gold is a Southern heirloom and every rice aficionado’s favorite. It’s known for its versatility and flavorful potential. BBC Travel has an interesting article on the grain’s complex economic history if you care to learn more!
If you can’t find it, you can use long-grain white rice.
Toasting the Rice: Frying rice before boiling has a number of benefits. You reduce the cooking time by heating the rice, diminish the stickiness of the final product, and add an extra layer of flavor with the oil and caramelized starches. While it’s not the end of the world if you skip this step, it really adds something to the dish!
Rice Texture: Achieving the perfect rice texture is a fine art! Many cooks waffle between that underdone crunch and mushy slop.
- Some common mistakes to avoid when cooking rice are lifting the lid, stirring, skipping the pre-rinse, including too much or too little water, and forgetting to let the pot sit for a few minutes after cooking.

Nutrition