- 1cup instant brown rice
- 1/2tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1cup vegetable broth
- 3 scallion, optional condiment
- hot sauce, optional condiment
- 1 large bunch collard greens
- 1/4cup apple cider or white vinegar
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Combine rice and 1 3/4 cup water in a saucepan, and cook according to package directions. Set aside and keep warm.
- Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onions, peppers and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and next 2 ingredients (through vegetable broth) to the saucepan. Add in cooked rice, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes (if it seems too thick add some more broth or water; you want it like a stew).
- While peas simmer, cook collard greens: Place 1 cup water in a large stock pan, add collard greens, salt, vinegar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until Hoppin’ John is ready.
- Serve Hoppin’ John with scallions and hot sauce.
*If you have an extra 15 minutes, make regular brown rice in place of the instant. You’ll need 2 cups of water for 1 cup rice. I make mine in a rice cooker, and go about making the rest of the dish and add in the cooked rice at the end. Regular brown rice has more substance and a nuttier taste.
While brown rice is way more nutritious than white rice, if you are easing in your family to new grains, you could still make this with white rice.
Need some meat for the carnivore in the family? Add a ham hock in with the tomatoes and broth and right before serving, cut the ham from the bone, discard the hock, and add the meat back in. You could also serve pan fried ham steaks on the side.
Eat like a real southerner by sprinkling your collards with some hot sauce or more vinegar (or both!).
