Hoppin’ John Soup with Collards

Hoppin’ John Soup with Collards

We serve black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day, following the Southern tradition meant to usher in good luck and prosperity. The peas are associated with good fortune in the year ahead, while collards, with their leafy green bundles, symbolize money and abundance.

Hoppin’ John is the classic Southern dish that brings these elements together with rice and pork, and this year we turned it into a soup — keeping the same soulful ingredients but letting them simmer in a smoky, savory broth, with rice served on the side to preserve the texture of the soup.

Most often, Hoppin’ John is served with collard (or mustard or turnip) greens on the side. Here, the collards go into the soup. Cutting them into a fine chiffonade allows the sturdy greens to soften more quickly and evenly, turning silky rather than bulky. The collards add color, flavor, and a boost of healthy greens.

Hoppin’ John Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 smoked ham hocks (previously frozen is fine)
• 14 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, soaked 2 hours, drained and rinsed
• 3 T. butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• several thyme sprigs
• 3/4 t. cayenne
• 3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• large bunch collard greens, stemmed and chiffonaded
• salt, to taste
• natural liquid smoke (optional)
• olive oil

To Finish

• scallions, sliced
• apple cider vinegar
• hot sauce (southern-style recommended)

For Serving

• steamed brown rice, cooked separately

Method

Build the Broth

Place the ham hocks in a large (8 qt.) soup pot and add the broth. Start with the liquid at room temperature. Bring up slowly over medium heat. Once the pot reaches a simmer, lower the heat and skim any foam that rises. Simmer gently for 1 hour.

Cook the Peas

Add the soaked, drained black-eyed peas to the pot. Keep the heat at a steady, gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour, stirring only occasionally.

Cook the Vegetables

Meanwhile melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are very soft but not browned.

Remove the Hocks, add the Vegetables

At the 2-hour mark total cooking time, remove the ham hocks and let them cool slightly. The peas should be getting tender and creamy but still holding their shape. Add the vegetable mixture, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper to the pot. Continue to simmer.

Add Collards and Shredded Meat

Shred the meat from the ham hocks, discarding skin, fat, and bones.
Add the chiffonaded collards and the shredded ham meat back to the pot. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the collards are tender and silky.

Season

Remove thyme sticks. Taste and adjust salt. For an even smokier soup, add several shakes of (my favorite) Lazy Kettle Brand All Natural Liquid Smoke is 100% concentrated liquid smoke. Lazy Kettle captures the steam rising from burning hickory, it condensates then the droplets are bottled. The ingredients are simply 100% pure smoke in an aqueous base. Finish with a splash of olive oil to round out the broth.

To Serve

Ladle soup into warm shallow bowls. Serve sliced scallions, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce on the side so guests can customized the Hoppin’ John Soup to their taste. Hot steamed brown rice is served on the side.

Notes

Black Eyed Peas are soaked for only 2 hours, so the timing of the soup results in tender but not mushy peas.

The rice is served alongside rather than in the soup. Rice continues to swell in liquid and can overwhelm the broth, while keeping it separate preserves the soup’s clean texture and balance. The broth stays clear, savory, and expressive, the peas stay distinct instead of blending into starch, and each bowl can be adjusted: more rice, less rice, or enjoyed on the side.

Wishing You Good Luck and Prosperity in 2026!

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