These Hoppin’ John Patties with Tomato Salsa transform traditional black-eyed peas and rice into an easy, healthy, vegetarian meal that’s packed with protein and fiber.
Hoppin’ John is traditionally a combination of white rice and field peas or black-eyed peas. Though my Grandma used field peas, I had Hoppin’ John at least once a week while growing up in South Carolina.
For a healthier spin on the classic, this recipe uses black-eyed peas and brown rice. It puts them together in one patty and adds fresh tomatoes and herbs for even more flavor. Full of protein and fiber, these Hoppin’ John Patties make a filling dinner or lunch.
Best black-eyed peas for patties
These black-eyed pea patties are easy to make – especially if you already have cooked brown rice in the fridge. I find that fresh, canned or thawed, frozen black-eyed peas work the best. You can also use leftover black-eyed peas, if they aren’t too mushy.
Try this spin on a classic: Hoppin' John Patties with Southern-Style Tomato Salsa!What to eat with hoppin’ john patties?
These patties are almost like a black-eyed pea burger. You can top with tomatoes or your favorite vegetables and salt. These patties work really well solo because of the rice. But they are also delicious with the tomatoes on top.
Another great option? Add some greens. My Easy Honey Cider Collard Greens would be a perfect addition to the plate.
Choose the best rice
I used leftover brown rice for this recipe. It’s best to use cold rice – not one that’s freshly cooked. The cold, leftover rice will stick better. And it’s a great way to use up leftovers.
You can use white rice if you’d like. But the brown adds a nice nutty flavor that I love. If you use white rice, you might need to add 1/4 cup or so more if you find that the patties don’t stick at first. I am guessing on this as I have not yet tried it!
How to make vegan black-eyed pea patties?
You can make these patties vegan by swapping the egg out for a different binder. Try a vegan egg substitute such as a chia egg or flax egg to help keep the patties together. With that easy swap, the patties will be vegan!
Hoppin’ John is a traditional southern recipe but you can enjoy black-eyed peas in many other ways.
Easy black-eyed pea recipes
Black-eyed pea fritters for an appetizer
Roasted black-eyed peas for a healthy snack
For more recipes with soul check out these…
Black History Month Recipes
I’m sharing this recipe as part of a Black History Month Potluck! I’m excited to join 27 other black food bloggers from around the globe to share our favorite recipes for what we like to call a Virtual Potluck.
From African to Creole and Caribbean to Southern there is something for everybody; with each blogger contributing their recipes each day of Black History Month. Check out my Hoppin’ John Patties and the other delicious recipes from the participating bloggers below.
And a special shout out to Aaron of The Hungry Hutch! This brilliant idea started with him. Be sure to check out his beautiful and delicious Blood Orange Cornmeal Cake.
Find out more about the Black History Month Virtual Potluck and get all of the recipes!
Hoppin' John Patties with Herbed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp coarse salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Herbed Tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh grape tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cup Vidalia or other sweet onion, diced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp coarse salt
- ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the herbed tomatoes. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. Set aside. Let the flavors meld. This is a southern-style salsa.
- Make the patties. In a large bowl, mash the black-eyed peas with a fork or potato masher. Add the rice to the bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, bell pepper until soft. Add the sautéed vegetables and the remaining ingredients to the black-eyed pea and rice mixture. Mix well – you’ll want to use your hands.
- Once blended, score the mixture into four equal parts. Create two equal patties from each of the parts. If the patties are too loose, refrigerate them for an hour or overnight.
- Wipe out the skillet. Heat the rest of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties in batches and cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Top the patties with the tomatoes. Serve.
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