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.
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: 45 min | Serves: 4
Jump to: RECIPE | Key Ingredients | Brief History | Superstitions | Serving Suggestions | FAQ
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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? Thought to have originated in the Carolinas from Gullah Geechee culture, most historians agree that Hoppin John is an American stew with African, French, and Caribbean roots.
Where Did the Name “Hoppin John” Come From?
Theories abound regarding 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 hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was 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 financial good luck, as they are the “greenbacks”.
- The black-eyed peas are supposed to represent coins for more financial good luck.
- Tomatoes bring about additional good luck for health in the New Year.
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
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.
In my version, a smoky chipotle powdered spice blend brought the heat, but your favorite chile pepper spice mix can easily be substituted.
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.
I’m a big fan of one-pot meals, both for the blending of flavors and for the easy cleanup.
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
FAQ
Yes, without the rice. Black-eyed peas are a legume and compliant with slow carb eating. Skip the side of cornbread if you’re staying strict.
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.
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.
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.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Hoppin John – a slow carb cajun stew
Equipment
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1-2 ham hocks can use ham “shank” if you can’t find hocks
- 2-4 strips bacon
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1-2 garlic cloves smashed
- 4 cups stock or broth ham bouillon or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika can add cumin and cayenne if desired
- 2 cups black-eyed peas Dried
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes can use canned
- 1 bunch collard greens rinsed and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- To the uncovered instant pot, add the onion and bacon and sauté for a few minutes until bacon is cooked to your liking.1 large onion, 2-4 strips bacon
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the collard greens) to the instant pot and stir all together.Cover the instant pot, lock in and turn to the “soup” option. If your pot does not have the soup option, turn manually to 30 minutes.1-2 ham hocks, 2 stalks celery, 1-2 garlic cloves, 4 cups stock or broth, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 cups black-eyed peas, 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- Let the pot go down a little in pressure after 30 minutes and then release the steam.Add the collard greens to the instant pot and select vegetables or turn to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes let the pot sit on warm for 5-10 minutes before releasing the steam.Hoppin 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
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.