Southern Black-Eyed Peas, or Hoppin’ John, is a hearty, soul-warming delicacy. This black-eyed peas recipe is smokey, spicy, and pure satisfaction with a deep yet not overwhelming bacon flavor. And it’s a traditional Southern dish served on New Year’s Day to bring good luck!
I love anything with beans! Perhaps it started back in grade school when my Auntie cooked beans for dinner in its modest rusticity – onions, salt, and oil, nothing fancy. That simple recipe made all my troubles go away like magic.
And now, this Southern black-eyed peas recipe is the perfect comfort food with soul-satisfying goodness any time of year. It warms us up even in the coldest weather and graces the best cookouts in the heat of summer. This dish will remind you of home and nostalgic, happy memories. ❤️
Content…For More Than New Year’s |
Black-Eyed Peas for More Than New Year’s Good Luck
Black-eyed peas are from my native Africa, and they’re so delicious they became popular worldwide. After arriving in the southern U.S. in the 17th century, they became a symbol of prosperity because they resemble pennies and coins. They grow exceptionally well in the heat and so gave birth to a delicious Southern tradition.
People believe eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day brings good luck and a slew of other beautiful things. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this heartwarming dish all year round.
Recipe Ingredients
- Black-Eyed Peas offer a slightly smoky flavor and high protein and fiber content, making them nutritious and delicious.
- Meat – Bacon and smoked sausage add flavor and more meaty goodness. Ham hock or leftover smoked turkey are also excellent additions.
- Seasonings – Caramelized onion, garlic, thyme, celery, bay leaf, jalapenos, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper deliver fantastic smells and flavors. You can kick up the heat more with a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Chicken Broth is the essential liquid bursting with chicken essence and rich umami flavors to simmer the black-eyed peas.
- Collard Greens – Black-eyed beans symbolize pennies. Collard greens, on the other hand, represent bills in this lucky dish. Plus, adding greens makes it more nourishing.
How to Make Southern Black-Eyed Peas
Prep
- Soak – Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans and pick through and discard any foreign object. Add beans to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let sit for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Cook the Meat – In a large, heavy sauté pan, fry the chopped bacon until brown and crispy (4-5 minutes). Add sausage and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the bacon and sausage mixture and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Saute – Add the onions, celery, garlic, jalapenos, thyme, and bay leaf, and saute for 5 minutes or so until the onions become translucent and the seasonings release their fragrance. (Photos 2-3)
Cook
- Add Liquid – Then pour in the chicken broth or water. (Photo 4)
- Season – Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in the pot—season with Creole seasoning and salt to taste. Mix and bring to a boil.
- Simmer – Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. (Photos 5-7)
- Assemble– Toss in the collard greens, bacon, and sausage into the pot, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened to your desire. (Photo 8)
- Final Touch – Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve – Taste and adjust for seasonings with pepper, Creole seasoning, and salt if needed. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion.
Flavor Variations
- Vegan – Omit the meat and replace the rendered fat with olive oil; then vegetable broth can replace the chicken broth for a vegan version. And to make this dish more nutritious, you can add collard greens, carrots, and bell peppers.
- Crockpot Southern Black-Eyed Peas – This one is more effortless but equally delicious. Put everything in the crockpot, and you’ll have your dinner ready in 5-6 hours on high and about 9-10 hours on low. Imagine the things you can accomplish in those waiting hours. 😉
- Tropical Twist – Make these black-eyed peas with bacon and pork creamy and interestingly yummy with coconut milk. And I bet you’ll love this dish even more.
- Tomato – Fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce will also add a nice variation to this Hoppin John recipe. The kick of tangy goodness will surely make your tastebuds happy.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute the dried black-eyed peas with canned ones. However, add them 10 minutes before the dish finishes cooking so they have time to heat through because they’re already cooked.
- For a thicker consistency, I suggest mashing a few softened beans against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon. The mashed beans will make a creamier and thicker broth. Or remove about a cup, puree them in a blender or food processor, and then pour the puree back into the pot and give it a good stir.
Making-Ahead and Storage
Surprisingly, this bean stew freezes well. So go for it and make a large batch. It’ll come in handy when a soul-food craving hits.❤️ Transfer the black-eyed peas stew into a clean, airtight container or heavy-duty freezer-safe ziplock bags once cooled.
Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for 6 months. Pack them in a freezer bag, either the whole thing or in single-serving sizes, for easy thawing and reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to serve. Reheat in a pan on medium-low heat or in a microwave. You may add more chicken broth or water as needed.
FAQs
Technically, you don’t need to soak black-eyed peas. However, soaking them for a few hours or overnight shortens the cooking time. It’s totally up to you.
Adding bacon, sausage, and seasonings intensifies this dish’s flavor. But to take this dish to another level, add tomato sauce or coconut milk.
As a tradition, Southerners put clean pennies and dimes into their pot of black-eyed peas, believing they’ll bring luck and prosperity. They believe the one who gets the most coins in their bowl is the luckiest.
What to Serve With Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day
Double your luck by serving this black-eyed peas recipe with collard greens (representing money) and cornbread (for gold). Pork (because it roots forward) will complete a traditional New Year’s dinner. No lobster or chicken if you’re going for good luck. Oven-baked pork chops, smoked bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, or fried pork chops are all good.
More Traditional Southern Dishes to Try
- Southern Mac and Cheese
- Butter Biscuits
- Southern Fried Cabbage
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
- Southern Deviled Eggs
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”8AgprXDl” upload-date=”2019-04-01T07:08:53.000Z” name=”Black Eyed Peas Recipe” description=”Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe or Hoppin’ John is a hearty, warm and soulful food. This black eyed peas recipe is smokey, spicy with a deep yet not too overwhelming bacon flavor. A Southern traditional dish served on New Year’s Day to bring good luck charm!”]
This blog post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453g) black-eyed peas
- 4-5 thick slices bacon, chopped
- 5 ounces smoked sausage or turkey, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2-3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 optional jalapeno, minced (can replace with ¼ teaspoon cayenne)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 7-8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups (or more) collard greens (or you can use kale)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans, pick through, and discard any foreign objects. Add beans to a large pot and cover with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let sit for 2-3 hours (or overnight).
- In a large, heavy sauté pan, saute chopped bacon until brown and crispy (4-5 minutes), then add sausage and saute for 2-3 more minutes. Remove bacon and sausage mixture, and set aside.
- Throw in the onions, celery, garlic, jalapenos, thyme, and bay leaf, and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions are wilted and aromatic.
- Then pour in the chicken broth or water.
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place them in the pot. Season with Creole seasoning and salt to taste. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Toss the collard greens, bacon, and sausage into the pot, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the broth thickens to your desired texture.
- Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped green onion.
Liza Lee says
I made this for New Years Eve. First time and decided to make again for dinner tonight. My mom came by and she absolutely loved the beans fir NYE!! Going to add Jalepenos this time.
Thanks again!!
imma africanbites says
Thank you for dropping by, Liza. I appreciate it.
Jenny says
Well this is my story…….. I opened a can if black eyed peas in mistake for something else, so decided not to waste them and found this recipe. I live on my own so halved the quantity. Oh my goodness what an amazingly tasty dish!!! I love it and have shared with my family and friends. I’m so pleased I opened that can by mistake!!! Thank you.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Jenny.
I am so happy you opened that can- Lol. Thanks for the feedback!
Mary says
Delicious! I shared your recipe with friends.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing this one out, Mary. I truly appreciate it! 🙂
Kathy B says
Yumm! This was very good. I added a little more celery and used a 12 oz. package of andouille sausage and cooked a little longer to my taste.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for dropping by, Kathy. Glad you like it.
Jen says
I just made this and it is so delicious! Thank you so much for this wonderful, easy to follow recipe! I probably threw in more bacon, sausage and kale (I’m in the PNW) than what you have listed, but I wanted it to be hearty. I also used Cajun spices because I couldn’t find Creole, and 2 qts of chicken stock and it’s incredible. Here’s to luck, coins and dollar bills for everyone in the new year!
imma africanbites says
Happy happy New Year, Jen! More bacon is a big yes for me. 😉 Thank you for dropping by.
Maunone Tanner says
Loved this. Made a vegan version using Field Roast Apple Sage Sausage, vegetable broth and vegetable broth. Absolutely wonderful. Served over brown and wild rice with stewed tomatoes.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing those substitutions. It’ll surely be of help to those who’d take the vegan route for this recipe. Happy New Year!
Lauren says
My husband has been shoveling snow allll day and he can’t wait to taste this yummy dish that smells so goood! And I know it is, becuse I’ve been tasting as I go. Delicious! Thank you for sharing this with us all 😀 I’m pairing it with fried pork chops for our new years dinner. Going to be warmed through here really soon <3
imma africanbites says
What a lovely pairing! Happy happy New Year, Lauren!
Sarah says
This recipe was delicious! We just had our bowl for the new year and we will definitely use the recipe again. I didn’t have sausage, but I did have leftover ham – that was a tasty substitute. Thanks for sharing!
imma africanbites says
You’re welcome, Sarah. I’m happy you love this recipe as much as I do.
Tammy says
Have you ever done this in a slow cooker? Just wondering if I would still saute everything first? Thanks this looks delicious!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, it’s best to saute everything first before adding to the slow cooker, for maximum flavor.
Shelly says
I’m gonna try this for new year’s, it sounds amazing. I didn’t see thyme listed as an ingredient, but the directions call for thyme. So, how much do i add?
Thanks, shelly
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Shelly,
It’s 2 teaspoons minced thyme. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Happy New Year!!!
Michelle says
It actually does say thyme
Shaul says
I decided to double the recipe for my first try and served it for Christmas dinner to 14 people. Everyone liked it and we still have lots of leftovers. For broth I made my own from smoked ham hocks in the instant pot. This one is a keeper!
Tip: if using salty meats, wait until it’s all well cooked before adding salt.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing that tip, Shaul. Glad it turned out well for you.
Linda A. Weisser says
Will definitely save this recipe for New Years Day <3
imma africanbites says
This is indeed perfect for New Year’s Day, Linda. I’ll be sharing too a list of some New Year’s Day recipes.
Tomato onion paste says
Black Eyed Peas is healthy. Instead of using pieces of onion and tomato you can use tomato onion paste and cook this paste first for 2-3 minute then add black peas to it. This also gives delicious taste.
imma africanbites says
Thanks for the tips! Will try it your way some other time. Have a good one!
Debbra pappion says
Love your recipes ! Do you have a recipe for Tamale pie.
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry I don’t have one at the moment. Hopefully soon.
Wells says
Would I use one or two pounds of black eyed peas? Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Wells! It’s one pound of black eyed peas. Thanks!