Southern Hoppin John with Black-Eyed Peas (Print)

Hearty black-eyed peas with bacon and vegetables over fluffy rice—a comforting Southern classic perfect for New Year's Day.

# Ingredients:

→ Meats

01 - 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced

→ Legumes

06 - 1½ cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained, or 3 cups cooked canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
10 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Rice

12 - 2 cups long-grain white rice
13 - 4 cups water
14 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or oil
15 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnish

16 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
17 - Hot sauce to taste

# Instructions:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove half the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve for garnish, leaving the remaining bacon and drippings in the pot.
02 - Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the soaked black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme, cayenne, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes if using dried peas, or 20 to 25 minutes if using canned peas, until the peas are tender but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
04 - While the peas cook, combine rice, water, butter, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
05 - Serve the black-eyed peas over the fluffy rice. Top with reserved crispy bacon and sliced scallions. Add hot sauce if desired.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes like home the moment it hits your tongue, no matter where you grew up.
  • Black-eyed peas become creamy and tender while staying their own thing, not turning into mush like some legumes do.
  • The crispy bacon and smoky broth create a flavor that feels way more complex than the simple ingredient list suggests.
02 -
  • If you forget to soak your peas overnight, you can do a quick soak by bringing them to a boil for two minutes, then letting them sit covered for an hour—it won't be quite perfect, but it works in a pinch.
  • Don't overcook the peas thinking they need to be completely soft; they'll keep cooking after you remove them from the heat, and mushy peas taste grainy and sad.
03 -
  • Don't skip the step of rendering the bacon separately first—it's what gives this dish its signature depth and why it tastes nothing like a can of peas on rice.
  • Cook your rice on a different burner simultaneously instead of waiting, so everything finishes at the same moment and lands on the plate hot and unified.
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