Dig Into This “Good Luck” Stew!
Do you know what “Hoppin’ John” is? Well I didn’t!
I didn’t know a thing about “Hoppin’ John” until my wife told me about it years ago. You are supposed to make it on New Year’s Day, and it will help ensure you have good luck in the year ahead!
The first written “receipt” for Hoppin’ John appeared in “The Carolina Housewife” (1847), and was written by Charlestonian Sarah Rutledge. The simple recipe called for one pound of bacon, one pint of peas and one pint of rice cooked in a single pot.
Well, I’ve made it on New Year’s Day every year since, so let’s get cooking!
Here are the ingredients:
2 tbl. butter or olive oil – I use both!
2 Shallots or 1 Onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cup of diced carrots
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black eyed peas
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
6 oz. Canadian Bacon – or use a ham hock if you can find one!
Note: you can also use bacon!
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 chopped tomato
White or brown rice, to serve underneath or in – your choice!
Here is my recipe, a variation on a terrific recipe from “The Pioneering Woman”:
Heat the butter or olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the black eyed peas, the chopped tomato, chicken broth, Canadian bacon or ham as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Here’s a look at how I did it:
Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
“The Pioneering Woman” offered a few variations: you can add celery, increase or decrease the chicken stock to make it more or less of a stew, and add cayenne if you like a kick to your food!
First, we ate our Hoppin’ John this way, in a small bowl….later, we served it over white and brown rice, but you can also mix it in as well…either way it’s a delicious, healthy and positive way to start the year – at any time of year!
I have reported on “good luck” food before, prompted by a book I read about fortune cookies!
This is fascinating: a Writer discovered that dozens of people all had the same lottery numbers – because they had all eaten Chinese food that week!
Clcik here to see more of this fascinating story – and some more “good luck food” for 2025!
“Good luck food” is nothing new – in fact, there are “prosperity burgers” that people buy in Asia and “solid gold sushi” as well!
Click here to see that story!
I have shared my affinity for asian cuisine, and here is one of my favorites:
Have you made Okonomiyaki? It’s a savory Japanese pancake and I love them – so they must be good luck!
Here’s a sneak peek:
To see the entire recipe, click on my story here:
“Bite! Eat! Repeat!” is filled with recipes and so much more – please sign up to follow along here:
If you enjoy this recipe, please share on social media – thanks and happy new year 2025!
Categories: Bacon, Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Food, Food Pictures, Recipes, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
I’ve never made this, black-eyed peas are not easy to find around here, but I’ve often made a New Year’s dish with yellow-eyed beans since they look a lot alike and despite the name of the former, it is also a bean.
it sounds good and filling and lucky to have it! also that Japanese pancake looks pretty good –
This looks like a wonderful stew. I am sure Ickle Pickle would love it
It is delicious and once she (she, right?) gets older you will have a blast seeing how your taste buds develop…my son will try anything, my daughter much less so! Cheers to you and your family!
It is a she, hopefully she will like to at least try different foods
Always fun to see what they like and don’t – all part of watching them create their own unique identity and personality!
This looks and sounds great, John 🌟
I had never heard of this tradition, but the meal looks delicious.
Best wishes, Pete.
It’s a delicious soup/stew any time of year Pete!
Looks delicious. I’ll be trying this new recipe but adding greens from my old one. John did you know the black eyed peas represent pennies and the greens bills? Happy New Year!!!
I didn’t know that! Thanks for sharing that – this years version turned out delicious! Cheers and happy new year!