If you like beans but have never tried black-eyed peas, this is an excellent recipe to try! It’s a Southern tradition to eat Hoppin’ John on New Year’s. It’s “poor man’s food”, so eating it is supposed to give you a prosperous year. I’ve only eaten it since living in Utah and Idaho, but you must forgive my mother for not cooking it. She’s a Yankee.
The Meats
If you’d like to use a leftover ham bone, put it in the Instant Pot with 3 c. of water, cook at high pressure for 60 minutes and natural release. Then, remove the meat from the bone and proceed with the recipe. You can also use the juice in the recipe instead of chicken broth. Test it first for saltiness. If it seems much saltier than chicken broth, water it down first before using.
If using bacon, cook 6 oz. until crisp, then cut it into small pieces.
The Hoppin’ John
Heat the Instant Pot on saute until it says “hot” and saute until starting to brown a little:
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
Add and saute for 1 more minute:
1 T. minced garlic
For more crisp vegetables, remove them now and set aside. If you don’t mind them blending into the rest of the dish, keep them in the pot and add all of the following:
1 c. chopped ham or bacon
1 c. black-eyed peas ( about 1/2 lb.)
3 c. chicken broth or ham broth (tested first to make sure it’s not too salty)
1 bay leaf
Set the trivet over the beans and ham and put a bowl or other oven-safe dish on top of it. In the bowl, put:
2 c. rice
3 c. water
Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes, then natural release. Remove the bowl of cooked rice and set it aside. If you set the veggies aside earlier, add them into the beans now.
Season the Hoppin’ John with salt, pepper, and cayenne, then serve it over the rice. Don’t forget the cornbread!
Hoppin’ John and Rice in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone or 6 oz. bacon
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup celery 1 rib, diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup ham or bacon chopped
- 1/2 pound black-eyed peas about 1 cup
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups rice brown or white
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Prepare your meat of choice. For ham, put a leftover ham bone in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, Cook at high pressure for 1 hour, then natural release. Remove the meat from the bone and set the liquid aside. For bacon, cook 6 ounces (1/2 a package) until crisp and cut it into small pieces.1 ham bone
- Heat the pressure cooker on saute and cook the vegetables until they start to brown slightly. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. If you want the final vegetables to be crisp, remove them now.1 cup onion, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bottom of the pressure cooker. If using ham, use ham broth instead of chicken broth. Test for saltiness first. Set the trivet over the beans.1 cup ham or bacon, 1/2 pound black-eyed peas, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 bay leaf
- Put a bowl or other oven-safe dish on the trivet. Put the rice and water in the bowl.2 cups rice, 3 cups water
- Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes with a natural release.
- If you took the veggies out earlier, add them back in. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and serve over the rice. Cornbread makes a delicious accompaniment.