Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is a traditional meal to bring luck into the new year. It is usually made with bacon or some other meat, but Thug Kitchen posted an awesome vegan recipe this week. I changed things up a bit and tossed it all in my slow cooker. I served it over brown rice, but I've also heard of it being served with sauteed greens. This recipe makes about six servings. Have a happy & fruitful new year!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes - 2 hours

Ingredients
Two (2) cans of black eyed peas, drained
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
One (1) large red bell pepper, chopped
One (1) large rib of celery, chopped
Two (2) chipotle peppers, deseeded and chopped finely -- Upon the suggestion of the original recipe, I used canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (look in the "ethnic" aisle in your grocery store), and it worked out really well
Three (3) cloves of garlic, minced
Two (2) teaspoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
One (1) teaspoon of Italian seasoning -- The original recipe called for oregano and thyme, which I didn't have, so I improvised
Two (2) small bay leaves
1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth -- I had leftover broth, so if you want it to completely boil down, use less
Salt for taste

Directions
Turn on your slow cooker to high heat.
Pour in the olive oil, the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, chipotle peppers, and garlic.

Let simmer for a few minutes, or until the veggies become a little softer.
Spoon in the black eyed peas and all of the spices.
Mix well.
Slowly pour in the vegetable broth and toss in the bay leaves.

Let cook on high for at least 20 minutes.
Once everything begins simmering together, change the heat to low and let cook slowly for at least another ten minutes, but up to a couple hours.
Remove the bay leaves before eating.

Spoon hoppin' john onto rice, greens, or directly into your mouth.
Enjoy!