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Photo of Hoppin' John by WW

Hoppin' John

3
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 40 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
2 hr 30 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
This Southern side dish is classic slow-simmered comfort food and a staple on New Year’s Day—the black-eyed peas are said to bring prosperity in the new year. To be Hoppin’ John, it must have pork, black-eyed peas, and rice, and this recipe brings a healthy spin to the traditional dish. The Canadian bacon is browned at the start and infuses the rest of the dish with savory flavor as it simmers, absorbed by the starchy rice and smooth, creamy black-eyed peas. If you like, you can add in a small chopped green bell pepper with the onion for some color and flavor variation.

Ingredients

Uncooked Canadian bacon

4 slice(s), cut into bite-sized pieces

Red onion

1 small, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

Dried black eye peas

1 cup(s)

Crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp, or more to taste

Black pepper

⅛ tsp

Uncooked white rice

¾ cup(s), long grain-variety

Table salt

½ tsp

Instructions

  1. Place a Dutch oven (a large, covered pot) over medium-high heat; add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove bacon; set aside. Add onion to bacon drippings and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Sort through peas; discard any debris. Place peas in a colander in sink and rinse under cold water; add peas to Dutch oven. Add reserved bacon, red pepper, black pepper and 4 cups of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and partially cover Dutch oven; simmer until peas are almost tender, about 2 hours. Stir in rice and salt. Cover completely and cook until rice and peas are tender, about 20 minutes. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

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