In this delicious Vegan Hoppin’ John recipe, a traditional New Year’s black eyed pea stew gets a vegan makeover. This smoky, healthy, and satisfying meatless recipe is a lighter version of the Southern classic. It’s the perfect recipe to celebrate the New Year or Rosh Hashanah.
Black-eyed peas are culturally and historically significant during the celebration of the New Year for both Sephardic Jews and those living in the American South.
The Jewish tradition is more ancient with roots in the Babylonian Talmud, which lists nine foods that should be eaten during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Each food listed is representative of a wish to come in the New Year; the black-eyed peas are said to be a symbol of good fortune. In Hebrew and Aramaic they are called “rubiyah” and in Arabic “lubiya,” both related to Hebrew words “l’harabot” and “harbeh” meaning “to increase” and “many.” When you eat black-eyed peas at the Rosh Hashanah Seder, you are inviting wealth and good fortune in the coming year.
In the South, black-eyed peas have been seen as a symbol of good fortune since the Civil War. They were originally planted for livestock consumption and later became a common source of nutrition for slaves. When General William Sherman’s troops swept in, destroying the majority of Southern crops, the black-eyed peas were left behind. They proved to be an important source of nutrition for the starving Confederate soldiers. In the South black-eyed peas are often eaten with other foods that symbolize abundance, like golden cornbread and greens that swell when they are cooked, representing paper money and growing wealth.
It is possible that these two traditions, Jewish and Southern, melded during the 18th century, when many Jewish homes in the South had African American cooks. Black-eyed peas are now enjoyed for both the secular New Year’s Day celebration on January 1 as well as during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.
Recently I cooked dinner for my new friend John Salley, a former NBA star who happens to be vegan. I’d been developing this Vegan Hoppin’ John recipe, so I included it on the menu. It was a huge hit. So many black-eyed pea preparations I’ve tried in the past have been bland and flavorless. Not this one! The smoked paprika gives it that smoky, ham-like flavor; turmeric gives it depth and adds a healthy anti-inflammatory boost. Seared mushrooms provide a savory meatiness. The traditional combination of black-eyed peas and rice make this a complete protein. It’s a tasty and filling side dish or entree.
Who knows? Maybe it will bring us some luck as we ring in the new year!
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Vegan Hoppin' John
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black eyed peas
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 whole carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 1 whole onion roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 15 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cups vegetable stock low sodium ok
- Salt to taste
- Chopped scallions garnish - optional
- 6 cups steamed white or brown rice for serving prepared
NOTES
Instructions
- Soak black eyed peas overnight, then drain, rinse and set aside. In a medium saucepot or large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high until it just begins to smoke (keep a close eye on it-- you don't want the oil to darken in color, but you do want it to get very hot). Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn golden on the searing side. Stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes until the mushrooms are golden throughout. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add carrots, celery and onion along with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until vegetables are soft and translucent (about 7-10 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add fire roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, vegetable stock and soaked black eyed peas to the pan, stir to blend. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 25 -30 minutes until the beans are just tender - don't overcook them or they will get mushy. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season with salt to taste. I usually add about 1 tsp. if using a low sodium broth. Salt really makes the other flavors pop!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Awesome recipe!! I will be making this again!
I SO wanted to love this recipe but didn’t. The mushrooms and tomatoes were an ok, but unnecessary, addition to a standard Hoppin John recipe, but the carrots were the wrong flavor profile and I should have thought it through. I missed the red and green peppers and the jalapeno pepper. I also missed the thyme and oregano, although the Smokey Paprika was great. Tasted more like a vegetable bean stew which was good but not Hoppin John. From now on, I’ll use a traditional Hoppin John recipe and just leave out the ham/bacon.
Sorry to hear that Barbara! A lot of readers have liked this one (and I actually love it), sorry you didn’t have a better experience.
Might you prepare an Instant Pot specific version of this recipe for those of us addicted to our IP’s? Thanks!
I saw one comment where they were using their IP, but with few details.
I don’t really use the Instant Pot regularly, but I think the manual should have some basic modifications for recipes like this one (hopefully?).
Yeah! yum!!
Hi Tori. This recipe sounds fantastic. I bought fresh black eyed peas instead of dried. How should I adjust the recipe, if at all?
Reduce simmer time and lessen the stock, start with half the stock and add more as needed. You can simmer away any excess liquid to reduce. Enjoy!
This recipe is amazing! Made it for New Years and today it was the first recipe i tried in my new Instant Pot. I added brown rice after the veggies, a little extra broth and wow it turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Glad to hear it worked out Connie!
This recipe is so good! Made it for the entire family on New Year’s.
I love this stuff. I cook it on a regular basis. My New Year’s resolution, however, is to pay better attention to how much I eat. So I’m looking at the nutrition information. It says “per serving.” But it doesn’t say how big a serving is except for how many per batch. If I cook as directed, how many cups in a serving? I know I could figure it out next time I cook it, but just wondering if anyone knew.
Thanks.
Hi Amita, moving forward on new recipes I am trying to be more specific re: serving sizes. The nutritional information is a new feature on my site, and it is auto-calculated based on the number of servings. Another user might chime in here, and the next time I make it I’ll try to remember to measure it. Glad you love the recipe!
Oh my! So delicious! This is our first vegan New Year’s and these were a hit with everyone. Thank you so much. The recipe is printed and added to the binder of family favorites.
Have been looking for a good vegan version of Hopping John, which my family has made for generations to welcome the New Year. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Interesting history of the Southern roots of the dish. Very different from the one passed down in our family, made up of migrants from Georgia to Northern cities. They brought recipes with them when they fled. Would love to contribute to that tradition with a healthier version. Thank You.
Want to make this and if I use canned black eyed peas, do I just reduce the simmer time and lessen the vegetable stock or follow the recipe and just add in the peas towards the end? Many thanks in advance. This looks delicious!
Reduce simmer time and lessen the stock, start with half the stock and add more as needed. You can simmer away any excess liquid to reduce. Enjoy!
Thank you for your recommendation Tori! I just made it today 🙂
I’m recovering from heart disease and need to eliminate all oils, thus instead of frying the mushrooms and other vegetables, I “sautee” them in whatever is handy, this time in mirin, a kind of weak Japanese sake. Even with a cooking time of around 1.5 hours, the black eyed peas were a little al dente. But wow, this savoury collation really hit the spot.
I used to have the hoppin’ john all the time at a Cajun place when I lived in the US 25+ years go. This is better.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Sautéing in Mirin is a great idea.
Wicked goood ?
Delicious Tori. No changes needed.
Wow! Amazing recipe. I made it tonight and worried about it needing some fake-bacon or something to make it less bland. I’m so glad I just followed the recipe. I *did* add a couple of hot peppers for spice and some soy sauce to deepen the savory quality. As a vegetarian who keeps trying to convince others that you can eat really well and really healthily without meat, I am so grateful for this recipe — and so glad I didn’t cave to add the fake meat product.
FYI: I *did* have to cook my beans for 1.5 hours. I think cooking time probably depends on the quality/age of the beans you use. I love the idea of cooking the beans in the sauce rather than ahead of time.
I also made a side of garlicky greens to go along with it as one above commenter suggested.
Thank you, Tori!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Maggie! Yes, the age of the beans you use definitely has an effect on the cook time. Older beans have less moisture and require longer cooking.
I’ve been tasked with cooking for groups that include a mix of vegetarians and committed carnivores, and this recipe is great to put out for such groups. (I just make some grilled bratwurst that the carnivores can add to their plates.) It’s nice any time of year, served with some tomato-y/garlicky greens and rice. Even carnivores need reminding that meat can be a “condiment” and not always the star of the meal.
Just made this for New Years Day, it was great! I added a diced jalapeno, a little liquid smoke, and some fresh cracked pepper. I served it with greens over quinoa in place of rice (I was out) with a splash of Louisiana style hot sauce. I’m betting it will be even better tomorrow! Here in Chicago, Wishbone restaurant’s Hoppin’ John has always been a favorite. Since going vegan, I’ve missed it tremendously! Thanks again!
Wow. This was really good! Didn’t miss the meat one bit. I would recommend that, when you add the peas, to be sure there is plenty of liquid as it will reduce quite a bit. Also, to really make this even more wonderful, serve it over coconut rice. I know it sounds a little weird, but the combination of the slight sweetness of the rice really adds something special. Thanks for this recipe. It is a keeper!
Okay, just made this, with a few adjustments, and, I’m in love! So delish and super healthy. Less the dollop of sour cream I added. Amazing!
So glad you enjoyed it Carrie! 🙂 I’m pretty proud of how this one turned out.
I’ve made this before and love it. This year I need to leave out the mushrooms though. Should I increase the amount of other veggies or add more tomatoes?
You can simply omit the mushrooms. If you’d like you can double the amount of celery.