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Horizontal overhead photo of a serving bowl of Healthy Hoppin' John with rice and sliced tomatoes, onions and avocados.

Hearty Healthy Hoppin' John

This healthy, hearty version of Hoppin' John is bursting with delicious flavor and includes lots of fresh veggies in addition to the traditional black-eyed peas, pork and rice.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword Healthy Hoppin' John, Hoppin' John
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 294 kcal
Author Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the prep:

  • 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes drained and chopped small (reserve the juice)
  • 4 medium stalks celery diced small
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced small
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper diced small
  • 1 medium orange bell pepper diced small
  • 1 medium red onion diced small
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced small
  • 2 medium-size jalapeños seeds removed and finely chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups diced smoky ham diced in ½-inch pieces

For the Hoppin’ John:

  • 2 slices thick-cut smoky bacon halved lengthwise then cut into ½ inch slices
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cups low -sodium chicken broth maybe more
  • 2 medium-size bay leaves (3 if small)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

To finish:

  • 4 cups cooked rice I like basmati (about a half cup per serving)
  • green onions thinly sliced on a diagonal, optional
  • halved cherry tomatoes optional
  • avocado slices optional

Instructions

For the prep:

  1. Drain the tomatoes through a sieve, reserving the juice and tomato pieces separately. Set aside.
  2. Dice the celery, peppers and onions. Finely chop the jalapeños. Combine all chopped veggies in a medium-size bowl and set aside.
  3. Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas and set aide.
  4. Dice the ham and set aside.

For the Hoppin’ John:

  1. Cook the bacon in a medium-large skillet over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon bits are crisp and golden.
  2. Add half of the diced veggies and sauté just until beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, basil, oregano and thyme and stir to combine. Cook for another minute until nice and fragrant.
  3. Add the reserved tomato juice, the chicken broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the broth is reduced to about one half. Add the drained black-eyed peas and ham. Cook for another 3 minutes.
  4. Add the remaining diced veggies and stir to combine. Cook for 1 more minute until nice and hot. Taste and add more salt, if needed. If you'd like it a little more brothy, add more chicken broth. Stir in the chopped parsley.

To finish:

  1. Serve in bowls with rice. Garnish with more chopped parsley, thinly sliced (on a diagonal) green onions, halved cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado, if desired.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutritional info includes ½ cup rice per serving but not the optional garnishes.

Nutrition Facts
Hearty Healthy Hoppin' John
Amount Per Serving
Calories 294 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 773mg34%
Potassium 529mg15%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 1390IU28%
Vitamin C 76mg92%
Calcium 61mg6%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.