Southerners are a superstitious bunch, and for New Year’s Day, having a bowl of Hoppin’ John served with a side of greens is supposedly a promise of happiness and prosperity for the year.

This flavorful and hearty dish is rooted in African, Caribbean, and Southern American culinary traditions.

Black-eyed peas are thought to symbolize coins and are associated with good luck and prosperity in Southern folklore. The rice, representing wealth and abundance, complements the peas and creates a satisfying and filling base for the dish. The addition of smoked pork contributes flavor and richness, while onions and celery provide aromatic depth.

This particular recipe (there are various ones) was pulled from Garden & Guns’s Southern Cookbook, a fantastic collection of recipe ideas that we plan to comb through and showcase here on the site.

Hoppin’ John
(ABOUT 6 SERVINGS)

INGREDIENTS (Stage 1)
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
¾ lb. Tasso ham, diced
1 onion, halved
3 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves

PREPARATION
In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine ingredients with 6 
cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to
2 ½ hours. Drain the black-eyed peas and ham, saving cooking liquid separately. Remove and discard the onion pieces, 
garlic, and bay leaves.

INGREDIENTS (Stage 2)
½ lb. bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ tsp. fresh thyme
1 cup Cajun Grain rice (or a good-quality long grain rice)
6 green onions, sliced
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

I found the more parsley, the better, and of course, hot sauce never hurt anything! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!