Hoppin' John with smoked ham and collards
55 min · 22 g protein · 350 cals / serving
The Southern New Year's Day pot, for luck and for comfort: black-eyed peas simmered with smoky ham, peppers, celery and tomatoes, with a big bunch of collard greens wilted in, spooned over fluffy rice. A shake of hot sauce at the table is traditional.
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup long-grain white rice jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz ham, lean smoked ham, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp paprika, smoked
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or a pinch of cayenne
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, fire-roasted if you can find them
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, leaves sliced into ribbons
- 1/4 tsp salt, the ham is salty, so taste first
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
To serve
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Steps
- Put the rice, the water and a pinch of salt in a small pot, bring to a boil, then cover, turn the heat to its lowest and cook 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes before fluffing.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for 3–4 minutes until it browns in spots, then add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook 7–8 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, thyme and pepper flakes for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the bay leaf, black-eyed peas, tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes, so the flavours come together and the liquid thickens a little.
- Add the collards a handful at a time, letting each wilt before adding the next, then simmer 5–8 minutes more, until tender. Fish out the bay leaf, stir in the vinegar and taste for salt.
- Spoon the black-eyed peas over the rice and top with green onion, with hot sauce on the table.
Good to know
Can I use dried black-eyed peas?
Yes, and they need no soaking. Simmer 1 1/4 cups dried peas in water for 35–45 minutes until tender, drain, and use them in place of the cans.
Brown rice instead?
Brown rice works and adds a nutty chew; give it 40–45 minutes and about 2 1/4 cups water. It comes in at about the same score.
Vegetarian?
Leave out the ham, add a third can of peas and use vegetable broth; the smoked paprika keeps the smoky taste. It comes in at about the same score.
Per
- Calories
- 76
- Protein
- (26%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (16%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (59%)
- 12 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 289 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2101 kcal goes into the pot and 2921 g of ingredients comes out as about 2750 g of food: 76 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.