Hoppin’ John soup turns the classic Southern pairing of black-eyed peas and pork into a thick, smoky, comforting bowl with diced ham, collard greens, onion, celery and thyme. This hoppin john soup has no rice in it. Part of the pot is blended at the end, so the broth turns creamy from the peas themselves while plenty of them stay whole. A splash of apple cider vinegar brightens the finish. It is a natural for New Year’s Day and a very good home for leftover ham.
How to make Hoppin’ John soup: Sauté onion and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes, add garlic, then 3 cups of diced ham over very low heat for 10 minutes. Move it to a soup pot with 8 cups of chicken stock, 2 packages of frozen black-eyed peas and thyme, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Add chopped collard greens and simmer 1 hour more. Partly blend about half the soup, add vinegar and simmer 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up leftover ham. Three cups of diced ham, and the rind too.
- Thick without cream. The peas thicken the broth.
- Greens in the pot. A whole bunch of collards.
- No soaking. Frozen black-eyed peas go straight in.
- Feeds a crowd. Eight servings, and it reheats well.
Ingredient Notes
Onion and celery. One small onion and 1 cup of celery, both chopped fairly small.
Olive oil and garlic. A tablespoon of oil and a teaspoon of minced garlic.
Ham. Three cups, diced. If your ham has a rind, save it for the pot.
Chicken stock. Eight cups. Homemade is ideal, and a good boxed stock is fine.
Frozen black-eyed peas. Two 16-ounce packages.
Dried thyme. A 1/2 teaspoon.
Collard greens. One bunch, fresh, chopped.
Red pepper flakes. A pinch, optional.
Apple cider vinegar. One tablespoon, or more to taste.
Ham flavor base. Optional, only if the soup needs more ham flavor after you taste it.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, chopped fairly small
- 1 cup celery, chopped fairly small
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 3 cups ham, diced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 packages (16 ounces each) frozen black-eyed peas
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bunch collard greens, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
- Ham flavor base, if needed (optional)
How to Make Hoppin’ John Soup
1. Soften the vegetables. In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and celery in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes more.
2. Cook the ham. Add the ham and sauté over very low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Start the soup. Transfer the mixture to a large soup pot. Add the chicken stock, frozen black-eyed peas, dried thyme and any saved ham rind. Cook at a very low simmer for 1 hour.
4. Taste and add the greens. Taste the soup. Add water and the optional ham flavor base if needed. Stir in the chopped collard greens and simmer for 1 hour more, or until the black-eyed peas are quite soft.
5. Partially thicken. Remove the ham rind. Use an immersion blender, food processor or hand masher to partially process about half the soup. Leave a mixture of broken and whole black-eyed peas, and do not overprocess.
6. Finish and serve. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and the apple cider vinegar. Simmer 10 minutes more, then serve hot.
Does Hoppin’ John Soup Need Rice?
No. There is no rice in this soup. That surprises people, because the dish it is named for is all about rice.
| Hoppin’ John, the dish | Hoppin’ John soup | |
|---|---|---|
| Black-eyed peas | Yes | Yes |
| Pork | Usually a ham hock | Diced ham, plus the rind |
| Rice | Yes. The peas are served over it | No |
| Greens | Served on the side | Collards cooked in the pot |
| Liquid | Just enough to cook the peas | Eight cups of stock |
In the soup, the body that rice would give comes from the peas instead. Once they are very soft, about half the pot is roughly blended or mashed. The broken peas release their starch and turn the thin broth thick and creamy, and the whole peas that are left keep it from becoming a puree.
How to thicken it without overdoing it
Wait until the peas are quite soft. Firm peas will not break down, and the soup will stay thin. Take out the ham rind. Then use short pulses with an immersion blender, right in the pot, moving it around. Stop when the soup looks about half broken and half whole. With a food processor, ladle out roughly half, pulse it a few times and pour it back. A potato masher works too and gives the chunkiest result.
Tips for Success
How long does it really take?
The recipe lists about 130 minutes, but the steps add up to a little more. Go by the peas, not the clock. They should be very soft before you blend.
Why cook the ham over very low heat?
Gentle heat draws the flavor out of the ham and into the vegetables without drying the meat.
What does the ham rind do?
It adds body and a deeper ham flavor to the broth as it simmers. Remember to fish it out before blending.
Why add vinegar at the end?
A little acid wakes up the smoky, earthy flavors. Start with a tablespoon and add more to taste.
Should I add salt?
Taste first. Ham and stock are both salty, so you may not need any.
Storage and Reheating
Divide leftover soup among shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat on the stove until boiling, to 165°F. The soup thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water or stock.
What to Serve With It
Cornbread is the natural partner, and hot sauce at the table is welcome. For more soups, try the slow cooker 15 bean soup, the slow cooker unstuffed cabbage roll soup or the slow cooker loaded potato soup. For quick weeknight pots, there is the quick and easy taco soup, the 8-can chicken taco soup and the slow cooker Amish tomato noodle soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Hoppin’ John soup?
A soup of black-eyed peas, ham and collard greens, based on the Southern dish of peas and rice.
How is the soup different from Hoppin’ John served with rice?
The soup has stock and greens in the pot and no rice. The classic dish is peas and pork served over rice.
Does this soup need rice?
No. The blended peas give it body.
Can I leave out the red pepper flakes?
Yes. They are optional.
Final Notes
I save the rind and a few cups of diced ham in the freezer after a holiday dinner, just for this pot. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Hoppin’ John Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped fairly small
- 1 cup celery chopped fairly small
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 cups ham diced; save the rind, if available
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 packages frozen black-eyed peas 16 ounces each
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bunch collard greens fresh, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or more to taste
- ham flavor base optional; add if needed after tasting
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and celery in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes more.
- Add the ham and sauté over very low heat for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a large soup pot. Add the chicken stock, frozen black-eyed peas, dried thyme and any saved ham rind. Cook at a very low simmer for 1 hour.
- Taste the soup. Add water and the optional ham flavor base if needed. Stir in the chopped collard greens and simmer for 1 hour more, or until the black-eyed peas are quite soft.
- Remove the ham rind. Use an immersion blender, food processor or hand masher to partially process about half the soup. Leave a mixture of broken and whole black-eyed peas, and do not overprocess.
- Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and the apple cider vinegar. Simmer 10 minutes more, then serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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