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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Black Eyed Pea Burgers

    Published: Dec 25, 2022 · Modified: Jan 3, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Ring in the new year with vegan Black Eyed Pea Burgers! Piled high with collard greens, tempeh bacon, and a spicy sauce, these veggie burgers have all the flavors of Hoppin' John in one tasty sandwich. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

    Black Eyed Pea Burger with text overlay

    What is Hoppin' John?

    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.

    Black Eyed Pea Burger on platter with salad and tomatoes in the background

    Vegan Black Eyed Pea 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!

    diced tomatoes, black eyed peas, tempeh bacon, onion, lemon, collard greens, spices, cooked rice, garlic, parsley, olive oil, spicy sauce

    What You Need

    • Black-eyed peas
    • Cooked brown rice
    • Chickpea flour
    • Diced tomatoes
    • Garlic cloves
    • Onion
    • Parsley
    • Onion powder
    • Sea salt
    • Black pepper
    • Cayenne pepper
    • Olive oil
    • Collard greens
    • Lemon juice
    • Burger buns
    • Tempeh Bacon
    • Chipotle Lime Dressing

    See the recipe card for exact amounts. 

    making burgers collage

    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 together all of the burger ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mash everything together as you go. (Using a potato masher helps.)
    • Next you 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 your burgers for 20 minutes. Flip them and bake for an addition 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 sauté 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 collard greens and the water. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the collards wilt.
    • Then you 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 back, a big bunch of the collard greens, and generous dollop of the aioli.
    spooning dressing onto a burger

    Serving Your Burgers

    Serve your burgers on a bun with all the fixin's! You can also serve them on a platter with rice and vegetables. 

    Black Eyed Pea Burger in my hand

    Storing Your Burgers

    Cooked burgers will stay fresh for about 3 days in the fridge. If you'd like to freeze them, allow them to cool completely, then place slices of parchment paper between them and place them in an air-tight container or freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for about a month. To reheat them, thaw them in the fridge or counter and then pan fry them for a few minutes, or pop them into a 400° oven for about 10 minutes.

    Black Eyed Pea Burger

    Recipe notes

    I use canned black-eyed peas, but you can cook your own from dried beans, if you prefer.

    Store-bought tempeh bacon can be used instead of homemade. I like 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 like Chipotle Bitchin' Sauce and Follow Your Heart's Chipotle Veganaise.

    If you don't like collard greens, you can use kale or chard in its place.

    You can add more or less cayenne pepper to the burgers, depending on your tolerance for spicy foods.

    platter with two burgers with tomatoes and salad in the background
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    Black Eyed Pea Burgers square

    Black Eyed Pea Burgers

    Dianne
    Ring in the new year with vegan Black Eyed Pea Burgers. They have all the flavors of Hoppin' John in one tasty sandwich.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 burgers
    Calories 254 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Burgers

    • 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 finely minced onion
    • 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅙ teaspoon cayenne pepper

    For the Collards

    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • 8 large collard green leaves stems removed, chopped
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • ½ teaspoon lemon juice

    For Serving

    • 1 recipe Tempeh Bacon or 6-ounces store-bought tempeh bacon, cooked according to the package instructions.
    • ½ cup Chipotle Lime Dressing or store-bought chipotle sauce
    • 4 whole wheat or gluten-free buns

    Instructions
     

    Make the Burgers

    • Preheat your oven 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

    • While the burgers are cooking, 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.

    Assemble the Burgers

    • Place a burger on a bun and top with a few slices of tempeh bacon, a big bunch of the collard greens, and generous dollop of the aioli.
    Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!
    plate with a burger

    More Black Eyed Pea Recipes Include

    • Vegan Hoppin' John
    • Hoppin’ John Casserole
    • Hoppin’ John Tofu Scramble
    • Happy New Year Chili from The Plant-Based Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson 
    close up of chili

    More Veggie Burger Recipes Include

    • Chipotle Lentil Burgers
    • Teriyaki Black Bean Burgers
    • Baked Falafel Burgers
    • Hajiki Tofu Burgers
    two Hajiki Tofu Burgers with garlic, tomatoes, and salad
    « Vegan Tomato Tartlets with Pesto & Ricotta
    Vegan Greek Frittata »

    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky

      December 30, 2015 at 2:31 pm

      This is the best use of black eyed peas I've ever seen!

    2. Dianne

      January 04, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      Thank you, Becky!

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    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a Board-Certified Health Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

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