Vegetarian Hoppin’ John (Black Eyed Peas)
This recipe was served at our January Community Kitchen Dinner at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands. The menu consisted of traditional Southern New Year’s food — “peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold!”
Yields about 12 cups of cooked beans.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Black-eyed peas-soaked overnight
- 10 cups vegetable stock or water
- 2-3 Tablespoons, olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons Applewood smoked salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to your taste)
- More salt- to taste- if using water instead of stock
Instructions
- Put black-eyed peas in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cover with 10 cups of stock or water.
- Saute onions, carrots and celery in olive oil, then add to pot. Add bay leaf, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Turn heat up to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface and discard. Simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until peas are tender. Throughout cooking, add more water as necessary, always keeping liquid level one inch above surface, stirring occasionally.
- When done, turn off heat and taste-adjust seasoning as necessary.
