Quick Summary: Hoppin John is a traditional Southern stew of black-eyed peas and smoky pork, served on New Year’s Day for good luck. This Instant Pot version includes collard greens and skips the rice for a slow carb approach. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 1 hr 30 min | Serves: 4
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Hoppin John | Brief History | Superstitions | Key Ingredients | Serving Suggestions | Other Warming Stews | FAQ
Hoppin John is a Southern tradition on New Year’s Day, meant to bring good fortune and wealth in the year ahead. The classic combination of black-eyed peas, smoky pork, and a little heat is simple but deeply satisfying.
My version, inspired by Emeril, uses both ham hocks and bacon, cooks everything in the Instant Pot, and folds the collard greens right into the pot at the end. I’ve left out the rice, which keeps it slow carb compliant and avoids the mushy texture you sometimes get when rice is added.
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What is Hoppin John?
Hoppin’ John is a traditional Southern American dish that is made with three main ingredients: black-eyed peas (I used dried in this recipe), smoky pork (often bacon), and some kind of spice that involve heat.
It is commonly served on New Year’s Day and is known for the idea of bringing luck and prosperity for the coming year. The black-eyed peas symbolize coins and the rice symbolizes wealth, and the hope is that the overall dish will ring in the new year with good fortune.
Did you know? Hoppin’ John comes from the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where Gullah Geechee cooks carried on West African traditions of cooking rice and peas together.
Where Did the Name “Hoppin John” Come From?
No one knows for sure, but there are plenty of theories around how this dish got its quirky name. The most popular theories include:
- It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and hop around the table before sitting down to eat.
- A man named John came “a-hoppin” when his wife took the dish from the stove.
- An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, “Hop in, John”.
- It was sold on the streets of Charleston by a vendor known as Hoppin’ John.
- And the most boring theory is that Hoppin’ John is a corruption of the French phrase pois à pigeon, meaning “pigeon peas.”
I’m going with the greeting of a guest saying “Hop in, John”.
What Are the Good Luck Traditions?
Some of the ingredients in Hoppin John are said to bring about good luck in the New Year.
The three ingredients most associated with good luck include:
- The collard greens represent paper money, as they are the “greenbacks”.
- The cornbread represents gold. Rice is traditional too, but I leave it out (more on that below).
- The black-eyed peas represent coins for more financial good luck.
Beyond the ingredients, there are a range of traditions and superstitions that enhance your luck (and are fun to do).
One custom is to bury a shiny dime among the black-eyed peas before serving. Whoever gets the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the whole year.
Another tradition in some parts of the South is to count the number of peas in your serving to predict the amount of wealth you will have for the coming year.
And finally, if you leave three (3) peas on your plate when you are finished eating, then your New Year will be filled with luck, wealth, AND romance.
I love trying these old classic dishes with a background of tradition, especially if they taste good. And this one does. No mushy mound of rice and peas here!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Hoppin John needs dried black-eyed peas, smoky pork (I use both ham hocks and bacon), collard greens, tomatoes, onion, and a little heat.
Rice is often added to Hoppin John, but I have excluded it from my recipe for two reasons:
- Many of the recipes I post are slow-carb. Rice is not part of a slow-carb diet (and you won’t miss it in this dish).
- From a flavor/texture standpoint, the addition of rice to Hoppin John often makes for a mushy mound of rice and black-eyed peas that is not at all appealing.
I used both ham hocks and bacon in my recipe, a recipe which was inspired by Emeril, the king of southern cooking in my mind. The ham hocks were cooked along with dried black-eyed peas in the instant pot, with the greens added to the pot towards the end of cooking.
The heat comes from my Smoky chile blend (chipotle, ancho, and pasilla), which I sell at the St. Paul Farmers Market. If you’re not in Minnesota, a smoky chipotle powder works, or use your favorite chile spice mix.
Want Rice? Cook It Separately
Rice is traditional, and in the Lowcountry it was Carolina Gold. If you’re not eating slow carb, cook long-grain white rice on its own and spoon the peas, greens, and broth over it at the table. Keeping them apart is what avoids the mushy texture, and everyone can take as much rice as they want.
What to Serve with Hoppin’ John
Collard greens (and cornbread) are usually part of this traditional New Year’s meal.
Some cooks serve the collard greens as a side and some add them right to the pot. For ease and quickness, my version adds the collard greens to the instant pot for 10-15 minutes after the stew is cooked.
Cornbread is the other must, since it stands for gold. Set out hot sauce or pepper vinegar for the table too.
For a simple New Year’s menu, start New Year’s Eve with a holiday cheese and charcuterie board, then serve Hoppin John with cornbread on New Year’s Day. If you have a crowd, a pot of Creole seafood gumbo stretches the meal.
The best dessert to go with any Southern dish (in my opinion) is old-fashioned banana pudding. Such a sweet way to bring in the New Year!
Other Great Cold Weather Stews:
- Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- Southern Jambalaya
- A great version of posole that is adapted to slow carb and/or keto diets.
- A Moroccan Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
- Osso Bucco with Lamb Shanks
Find more in my soups and stews collection.
FAQ
Yes, without the rice. Black-eyed peas are a legume, and legumes are the backbone of slow carb eating. Skip the cornbread if you’re staying strict. Here’s my full slow carb food list.
Yes. Simmer the ham hocks and black-eyed peas in broth for about 90 minutes until tender, then add the collard greens for the last 15 minutes. Add water as needed if the pot gets dry.
No. Smoked ham, bacon alone, or smoked turkey legs all work. You want something smoky to flavor the broth.
Yes, but reduce the cooking time significantly. Add them after the ham hocks have simmered and just heat through. Dried peas give better texture. Three 15-ounce cans, drained, can replace the 2 cups of dried peas.
Two reasons: the lack of rice keeps the dish slow carb compliant, and it avoids the mushy texture that can happen when rice absorbs too much liquid.
Black-eyed peas are the legume. Hoppin John is the dish made from them, cooked with smoky pork and aromatics and traditionally served with rice.
Skippin’ Jenny. Eating the leftovers the day after New Year’s is said to show thrift and bring even more luck. We always have some left, and it gets better every time I warm it up.
Its roots do. Enslaved West Africans on the rice plantations of the South Carolina Lowcountry carried their tradition of cooking rice with beans and peas, and Hoppin John grew out of that Gullah Geechee cooking.
Not originally. Hoppin John comes from the South Carolina Lowcountry, and Cajun cooking comes from south Louisiana. Louisiana cooks have made it their own, though, often with Cajun seasoning and andouille in place of ham hocks.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Hoppin John with Collard Greens
Equipment
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1-2 ham hocks
- 2-4 strips bacon
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1-2 garlic cloves smashed
- 4 cups ham or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 2 cups black-eyed peas Dried
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes can use canned
- 1 bunch collard greens rinsed and coarsely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Cook the bacon and onion, stirring, until the bacon is done to your liking and the onion softens, about 5 minutes.1 large onion, 2-4 strips bacon
- Add the ham hocks, celery, garlic, broth, spices, black-eyed peas, and tomatoes. Stir, lock the lid, and cook on Soup (or high pressure) for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the steam1-2 ham hocks, 2 stalks celery, 1-2 garlic cloves, 4 cups ham or chicken broth, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 cups black-eyed peas, 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- Lift out the ham hocks. Pull the meat off the bones, chop it, and stir it back into the pot. Discard the bones and skin. Stir in the collard greens. Lock the lid and cook on Vegetables (or high pressure) for 10 minutes. Let it sit on Warm for 5 to 10 minutes, then release the steam.Taste and add salt if needed. The ham hocks and broth are already saltyHoppin John is traditionally served with cornbread and rice if you are not concerned about being slow carb.We always have some left and it just gets better and better when warmed up in the instant pot again (or on the stove).1 bunch collard greens
Notes
- In my version, the smoked chipotle spice mix brought the heat, but your favorite chile pepper spice mix will work.
- Ham shank works if you can’t find hocks.
- Add cumin and cayenne for more heat.
- Rice: cook it separately and spoon the Hoppin John over it, so it doesn’t turn mushy.
- Slow carb as written. Skip the cornbread if you’re staying strict.
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
What is the carb/calorie count for this recipe? Made it for New Year but think we’ll have it often.
It’s up now….sorry for the delay.