Ring in the new year with vegan Hoppin’ John Burgers with Tempeh Bacon and Spicy Aioli! It has all of the flavors of the classic dish in one tasty sandwich.

Hoppin' John for Prosperity

Hoppin’ John is a classic southern dish that’s traditionally made with rice, black-eyed peas, and bacon or ham, and it’s usually served with collard greens. It’s served on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. The black-eyed peas are said to represent coins, and a real coin is sometimes added to the pot. The collard greens are meant to represent paper money. Cornbread is sometimes served with the dish to symbolize blocks of gold.

Vegan Hoppin' John Burgers

In past years 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 little, and turn the dish into a burger.

If this recipe looks a little daunting you, keep in mind that the components can be made ahead of time, and then you can heat and assemble right before you’re ready to eat. You can also use prepackaged tempeh bacon and spicy non-dairy mayo to cut back on prep time. I like to double this recipe and make the burgers in advance and then freeze them. That way they're ready when I am!

Here’s to a prosperous new year!

Hoppin’ John Burgers with Tempeh Bacon and Spicy Aioli

Dianne Wenz

Ring in the new year with vegan Hoppin’ John Burgers with Tempeh Bacon and Spicy Aioli! It has all of the flavors of the classic dish in one tasty sandwich.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings burgers

Ingredients

Tempeh Bacon

1 8- ounce package tempeh
¼ cup low-sodium tamari
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspooon maple syrup
1 teaspoons liquid smoke

Burger:

1 cup cooked black-eyed peas
½ cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup chickpea flour
½ cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned with juices drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons onion, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
1 tablespoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Collards

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Spicy Aioli

½ cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours and drained
½ medium tomato, chopped
½ to 1 chile pepper, seeded and chopped (vary amount depending on how much heat you like)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small garlic clove

For Serving

4 whole wheat or gluten-free buns

Instructions

Make the Tempeh Bacon

Thinly slice the tempeh and place in a shallow baking dish.
Mix the tamari, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, olive oil, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Pour over the tempeh. Let marinate for at least 6 hours. It can be marinated overnight in the fridge, if you like.
Heat oven to 350°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully place the tempeh strips on it, making sure they don’t overlap. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the tempeh and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until crisp and brown.
Set the bacon aside, keeping warm, until ready to serve the burgers.

Make the Burgers

Turn the heat on the oven up to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together all of the burger ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mash everything together as you go. (Using a potato masher helps.)
Form the burgers into four patties. If you have one, a ring mold will help shape them, but forming patties by hand is completely fine.
Bake the burgers for 20 minutes. Flip them and bake for an addition 5 to 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm.

Make the Collard Greens

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t burn.
Add the collard greens and the 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.

Make the Spicy Aioli

Mix all of the aioli ingredients together in a food processor or high-speed blender.

Assemble the Burgers

Place a burger on a bun and top with a few slices of tempeh back, a big bunch of the collard greens, and generous dollop of the aioli.

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

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