Dig into a hearty pot of hoppin’ John, a southern dish made of black-eyed peas, garlic, smoked sausage and delicious spices.
One of the most prolific ways to eat your black-eyed peas is a steaming pot of Hoppin’ John.
Hoppin’ John is a warm, comforting and utterly delicious stew. The garlicky beans are simmered in with a rich, meaty kielbasa or other smoked sausage and kissed with a bit of cumin and jalapeño. 
Best of all, if you use a few packages of frozen black eyed peas (which I do), this big pot of luck-filled goodness, is ready in under an hour.
Serve your Hoppin’ John over a bed of steamed rice with some lucky greens on the side, or stir them directly into the pot and simmer until tender.
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Southern Cooking: Hoppin’ John
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Hearty Southern comfort food. Black-eyed peas and kielbasa simmered to perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (1 small onion) small onion
- 2 stalks celery (2 stalks) celery
- 1 carrot (1 carrot) carrot
- 1 jalapeño (1 jalapeño) jalapeño
- 2 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt (1/4 tsp) salt
- 1 lbs (454 g) smoked kielbasa
- 6 cups (1420 ml) frozen black-eyed peas
- 1 tsp cumin (1 tsp) cumin
- 1 bay leaf (1 bay leaf) bay leaf
- 2 cups (474 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 clove garlic (1 clove) garlic
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) cilantro
- cooked rice (cooked rice) cooked rice
- additional fresh cilantro (additional fresh cilantro) additional fresh cilantro
- hot sauce (hot sauce) hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add kielbasa and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add onions, celery, and carrots; cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add cumin and bay leaf; stir to coat vegetables.
- Add black-eyed peas and broth; stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until peas are tender and creamy.
- Remove from heat and stir in garlic and cilantro.
- Serve over rice with additional cilantro or hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
- For a deeper flavor, lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan before adding them to the pot.
- If using dried black-eyed peas, soak them overnight and increase the cooking time accordingly.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 60
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried black-eyed peas instead of frozen for this recipe?
Yes, but you’ll need to soak them overnight and adjust the cooking time, as dried peas typically require longer to become tender.
What type of smoked sausage works best in Hoppin’ John?
Kielbasa is a great choice, but you can also use andouille or any other smoked sausage that you prefer for added flavor.
How do I adjust the cooking time if I’m using fresh black-eyed peas?
Fresh black-eyed peas will cook faster, so check for tenderness after about 20-25 minutes of simmering.
This sounds terrific! Our weather tomorrow calls for a high of 30 and a low of 15 and snowing all day! which is perfect for this stew! I’ve got the black eye beans soaking and everything else ready to go.