Ring in the New Year with Vegan Black Eyed Pea Burgers! Topped with collard greens, tempeh bacon and a spicy sauce, this veggie burger has all the flavors of Hoppin’ John in one tasty sandwich. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
What is Hoppin’ John?
Hoppin’ John is a classic Southern dish traditionally made with rice, black-eyed peas, and bacon or ham, and is usually served with collard greens. It is served on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Black-eyed peas represent currency, and an actual coin is sometimes added to the container. Collard greens are meant to represent paper money. Cornbread is sometimes served with the dish symbolizing the gold block.
Vegan Black Eyed Pea Burger
In years past I’ve made a big pot of Hoppin’ John for dinner on New Year’s Day, because I think it’s a fun tradition to follow. This year I thought I’d mix things up a bit and turn the dish into a burger.
If this recipe sounds a little daunting to you, remember that the ingredients can be made ahead of time and then heated and assembled before you’re ready to eat. You can also use prepackaged tempeh bacon and spicy non-dairy mayo to cut down on prep time. I like to double this recipe and make the burgers ahead of time and then freeze. That way they are ready when I am!
what do you want
- Black eyed peas
- Cooked brown rice
- Chickpea flour
- Square tomato
- cloves of garlic
- onion
- Parsley
- Onion powder
- Sea salt
- Bell pepper
- pepper
- olive oil
- Collard greens
- lemon juice
- Burger bun
- Tempeh Bacon
- Chipotle Lime Dressing
See recipe card for exact amounts.
How to Make Black Eyed Pea Burgers
These burgers are easy to make!
- First you preheat your oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Then you mix all the burger ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Mash everything together as you go. (Using a potato masher helps.)
- Next you divide the burgers into four patties. If you have one, a ring mold will help shape them, but making patties by hand is perfectly fine.
- Bake your burgers for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm.
- While the burgers are cooking, you heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You add the garlic and fry it for a minute or two. Make sure you keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Next you add the kale and water. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the collards are wilted.
- Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- To assemble your burgers, place a burger on a bun and top with a few slices of tempeh, a big bunch of collard greens and a generous dollop of aioli.
Serve your burger
Serve your burger on a bun with all the fixin’s! You can serve it in a dish with rice and vegetables.
Saving your burger
Cooked burgers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3 days. If you want to freeze them, let them cool completely, then place pieces of parchment paper between them and store in an air-tight container or freezer bag. They can be stored in the fridge for about a month. To reheat them, thaw them in the fridge or on the counter and then roast them for a few minutes, or pop them in a 400° oven for about 10 minutes.
Recipe notes
I use canned black-eyed peas, but you can cook your own from dried peas if you prefer.
Store-bought tempeh bacon can be used instead of homemade. I love Lightlife’s Smoky Tempeh Strips. If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh is gluten-free.
You can use store bought chipotle sauce instead of homemade. I love chipotle beech sauce and follow your heart’s chipotle veganize.
If you don’t like collard greens, you can use kale or chard instead.
Depending on your tolerance for spicy food, you can add more or less cayenne pepper to the burger.
Black Eyed Pea Burger
Ring in the New Year with Vegan Black Eyed Pea Burgers. They have all the flavors of Hoppin’ John in one delicious sandwich.
Materials
For the burgers
- 1 the cup Cook black-eyed peas
- ½ the cup Cooked brown rice
- ¼ the cup Chickpea flour
- ½ the cup Square tomato Fresh or canned with juice, drained
- 2 cloves of garlic minced meat
- 3 table spoon Finely minced onion
- 3 table spoon Finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 table spoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon Bell pepper
- ⅙ teaspoon pepper
For collards
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves minced meat
- 8 big Green leaves of banana Remove the stems, cut
- 2 table spoon the water
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
to serve
- 1 recipe Tempeh Bacon or 6-ounce store-bought tempeh bacon, cooked according to package directions.
- ½ the cup Chipotle Lime Dressing Or store-bought chipotle sauce
- 4 Whole wheat or gluten-free buns
instructions
Make the burgers
-
Preheat your oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Mix all the burger ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Mash everything together as you go. (Using a potato masher helps.)
-
Cut the burgers into four patties. If you have one, a ring mold will help shape them, but making patties by hand is perfectly fine.
-
Bake the burgers for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm.
Make the collard greens
-
While the burgers are cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
-
Add the garlic and fry for a minute or two. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t burn.
-
Add the kale and water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until they wilt. Stir once or twice.
-
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Assemble the burgers
-
Place a burger on a bun and top with a few slices of tempeh bacon, a big bunch of collard greens and a generous dollop of aioli.
Calories: 254kcal | Sugars: 44g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg
More black-eyed pea recipes included
More veggie burger recipes included
