Last Updated on December 13, 2022 by Anne-Marie

A healthy slow cooker Hoppin' John recipe. Make this hoppin' john recipe on New Year's Day in your crock-pot!

Why this recipe works

It’s a shame that people only eat hoppin’ john recipes on the first day of the new year. You see, traditional hoppin’ john recipes are served on New Year’s Day to bring you fortune in the year to come.

You see, counting the number of peas in your serving predicts the amount of riches you’ll have in the coming year. So eat up!

Ingredients

● canned black-eyed peas

● chicken broth

● smoked turkey sausage

● canned diced petite tomatoes with diced green chilies

● chopped onion

● collard greens

● sea salt

● bacon salt

● ground black pepper

● cooked quinoa or rice

How to make this recipe

Make this healthy Slow Cooker Hoppin’ John recipe year-round. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also an easy-to-make dinner in your crock-pot that’s super good for you!

1. Empty the cans of black-eyed peas into a colander and place them in the sink. Drain and rinse until the water runs clear.

2. Place black-eyed peas, chicken broth, and turkey sausage in the six-quart slow cooker.

3. Stir in tomatoes with chilies, chopped onion, and collard greens.

4. Add sea salt, bacon salt, and ground black pepper. Stir thoroughly.

5. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until sausage is cooked through.

6. Serve over quinoa or rice.

7. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FAQs

Is Hopping John healthy?

A traditional hoppin’ john recipe can be high in calories since it’s usually cooked with pork and pork fat.

Here’s how this slow cooker black-eyed peas dish is a much healthier recipe:

Using turkey sausage: Traditionally, a smoked ham hock is used in hoppin’ john. Instead, we used lean smoked turkey sausage.

We kept the smoked sausage whole instead of chopping them up. This way, you can keep a better eye on portion size.

Cut the smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces if you like.

Canned black-eyed peas: Black-eyed peas are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and are a good source of fiber, protein, folate, thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper.

We used canned instead of dried black-eyed peas to make this recipe more convenient for busy folks. You can also use frozen black-eyed peas if you like.

Bacon salt instead of bacon: By using bacon salt, you add flavor without the calories and saturated fat.

Eat your greens: Collard greens are low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol, and a good source of fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals.

You can also add a bag of diced bell pepper if you like to add even more good nutrition.

Broth: if you wish, you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Salt: If you want, cut back on the sea salt, and add another seasoning - garlic, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, garlic powder, etc. to this hoppin’ john recipe.

How to serve

You can serve the slow cooker hoppin’ john recipe on quinoa or white rice.

Serve it on brown rice, which is used in more traditional hoppin’ john recipes for the New Year.

You can also add your favorite hot sauce or sprinkle on some pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning.

Can I make this into a vegetarian hoppin’ john recipe?

Yes, you can make this into a vegetarian dish! Here’s how:

● Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

● Use vegan sausage instead of turkey sausage.

● Then add more seasoning like Cajun seasoning, pepper flakes, some chopped cloves garlic, etc. Or omit them altogether and add more veggies, like a bag of frozen chopped bell pepper.

And yes, bacon salt is vegan!

Do you like Southern comfort food?

Check out this Easy Tomato & Okra Soup recipe if you like Southern cooking.

You’ll also like Raspberry Pecan Pie and Easy Buttermilk Pie.

If you’re a fan of waffles or fried chicken, try this Gluten Free Chicken and Waffles Recipe or Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles Recipe.

Love corn bread? Serve a batch of this unique Easy Gluten Free Skillet Cornbread Recipe along with this slow cooker black-eyed peas recipe.

And if you’re a pimento cheese fan, check out this Pimento Cheese Spread Recipe, which you can shape into a pumpkin for the fall holidays.

What’s your favorite Southern recipe?