Hoppin’ John for a Prosperous New Year

Recently in cooking class, we enjoyed a giant pot of Hoppin’ John: black-eyed peas cooked with onions, celery, carrots & veggie sausages. Served over brown rice, it’s a variation of a Southern specialty, symbolizing prosperity & luck for the New Year. The kids loved it! My version is health-ified with lots of veggies, vegetable broth, and smoky “Field Roast” sausages. Tip: you can use Trader Joe’s Mirepoix instead of chopping the veggies yourself. It’s definitely going into the meal rotation here!

45 min

6 or more

Dinner

Ingredients

Veggie Hoppin’ John

3 links vegetarian sausages, sliced lengthwise & into half-circles (I used Field Roast)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 medium stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

3 cups vegetable broth

1 can (15.5 oz) black-eyed peas

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon TJ’s “21 Seasoning Salute” or Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a Dutch oven, sauté the sausages in a little olive oil. Add onions, carrot, and celery, sautéing until onions are translucent, around 5 minutes. Add garlic and when fragrant, add canned peas, stock, thyme and tomatoes. Add all seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings; serve over cooked brown rice.

More Information

Even picky eaters loved this dish – which is full of protein, vitamins and fiber. Black-eyed peas (which are actually beans!) have a long, interesting history. They represent luck – some say they represent coins. If served with greens such as spinach, the green leaves represent dollar bills.

The name apparently comes from an old Southern grocery vendor who sold the beans and walked with a limp!

Subscribe to the newsletter!

You’ll get periodic updates with recipes, Q&A’s with chefs and kid food experts, observations, quizzes and simple activities for your kids — i.e., a fun farmer’s market treasure hunt. Don’t worry – we won’t bombard you with mail or ads.