Complete Your Meal: Top 8 Side Dishes for Hoppin John

Hoppin John is a popular food that originates in the Southern States of America.

It features rice and vegetables but has great variety when it comes to what you can add.

There are many different variations on Hoppin John recipes, so there’s something for everyone.

With traditional Hoppin John recipes, the main ingredient is black-eyed peas, but other ingredients are added to create a different flavor.

When it comes to seasoning, Hoppin John is a very simple dish that contains plenty of salt and pepper.

When they used dried peas in recipes in the early times, Hoppin John was prepared by cooking these with water on top of a stove.

The rice in this delicious dish makes it filling enough to serve as a main meal – make sure you don’t forget the spice.

Serving Hoppin John with other food items gives you the chance to create a meal that has plenty of different tastes.

In this article, we will give you some of our best suggestions as to what to serve alongside this dish.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Hoppin John?

Hoppin’ John is a Southern dish that traditionally pairs black-eyed peas and rice for a balanced meal.

These simple ingredients can be combined into a delicious main course or served as side dishes to enhance other dishes.

The wide variety of Hoppin’ John recipes offers an array of choices to make the most out of this classic dish.

To get the most out of this traditional dish, it is important to serve solid side dishes that can stand up to the main course.

One way to do that is with some hearty Hoppin’ Johns recipes for side dishes.

Serving a side of plain rice doesn’t do justice to this Southern classic.

The rice needs to be cooked, and the peas need seasoning to match the main course.

Another option is to serve a side dish that enhances rather than distracts from this classic dish.

There is a wide variety of side dishes that Hoppin’ John recipes can be combined with to make the most out of this Southern favorite.

Serving some comforting mashed potatoes or creamy coleslaw with this dish will help keep it from becoming bland and offers an opportunity to help your guests enjoy the full assortment of flavors.

What to Serve with Hoppin John? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are eight of the most popular side dishes that can be used to accentuate a Hoppin’ John recipe.

1 – Homemade Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a staple of the southern table.

It is the perfect complement to fish, fried chicken, even pork chops.

The only better thing than a rich pork chop is a side of crunchy, delicious coleslaw.

The creamy base and crisp veggies go perfectly with a variety of meats and fish.

It’s also ridiculously easy to make at home.

Just grab a couple of heads of cabbage, some carrots, mayonnaise, and a few other ingredients, and you’ve got a bowl of creamy, vegetable-infused deliciousness.

One thing is for sure – everything will taste better with a dollop of this stuff.

2 – Jalapeño Lime Corn

This crispy corn side dish has all the fresh flavors of summer.

It is just as delicious as any salad, but it can be served in a fraction of the time.

The lime and jalapenos give this dish a tangy flavor.

It is fantastic with fish or chicken dishes, especially when paired with something rich like an alfredo sauce.

This corn is also great when served with rice, making it an awesome side dish for Hoppin’ John.

3 – Cheesy Cauliflower Tots

Cauliflower gets a bad rap, but it doesn’t deserve it.

This bright and healthy vegetable can be used to make tasty and nutritious side dishes.

These cheesy cauliflower tots are one of the most popular recipes on this site for a reason.

They are crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle.

They go great with fish, chicken, or beef.

And they’re a must-try side dish for anyone who thinks that cauliflower is only good as a crudité snack.

4 – Homemade French Fries

French fries are a classic side dish that goes with nearly every main course.

They can also be very unhealthy if you don’t make them at home.

These homemade French fries have just the right amount of crunch and salt to keep your family coming back for more.

The trick is soaking them in cold water before you fry them.

When you’re ready to serve, fry them up in vegetable oil until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.

It doesn’t get much easier than that.

5 – Asiago Cheese Biscuits

These cheesy biscuits are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

They are great on their own, or you can serve them alongside a juicy steak or with some homemade soup.

Whoever thought of adding cheese to biscuits was a genius.

These cheesy biscuits are the perfect side dish for literally any meal.

They go great with entrees like chicken and fish, and they’re delicious with soups and stews too.

Just be careful not to put them in the oven for too long.

You want to take them out when they are still flaky and moist.

Over-baking these biscuits will result in a dry, crumbly biscuit.

Nobody wants that.

6 – Balsamic Glazed Carrots

This balsamic-glazed carrot recipe is a unique fresh side dish that goes great with beef to lamb to pork.

The sweetness of the carrots works well with rich meats and helps to create a balanced meal.

They’re pretty healthy for you too.

Carrots are very versatile, so it’s easy to find them in most grocery stores.

Carrots are sometimes cooked, but often they are eaten raw.

You can cook them to make this recipe or julienne them into small sticks and eat them as-is.

Raw carrots will be slightly crunchier than cooked carrots, so choose the texture that works best for you.

Once they’re glazed, you can eat them as-is or pair them with something else.

These glazed carrots go great with fish, chicken, and pork entrees.

7 – Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

This recipe is the perfect complement to your shrimp or fish dish.

It has a lot of bold flavors, so it’s best served with something milder.

The saltiness of the parmesan goes great with the broccoli in this recipe.

The lemon juice keeps it from being too salty while also giving it a bright flavor.

The best part of this is that the prep work for this recipe is minimal.

All you have to do is trim your broccoli into florets and then toss them with all the ingredients.

Roasting broccoli helps enhance its natural flavor, so this is a healthy side dish choice.

8 – Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This broccoli cheddar soup is one of the most popular recipes on this site.

It’s very easy to make, super low maintenance, and tastes amazing.

Once cooked, it should be stored in a sealed container and reheated when you are ready to eat it.

It will last for a few days in the fridge.

This soup is perfectly served with a fresh garden salad and some cheesy biscuits, but it’s delicious on its own too.

Eating this soup feels like you are eating a warm bowl of comfort food.

The broccoli adds a nice texture, which makes the dish feel more hearty and filling too.

Conclusion

Hoppin John is a classic southern dish that has been around for centuries.

It’s a delicious black-eyed pea and rice dish topped with fried bacon, making it a perfect meal to serve on New Year’s Day.

To make the best Hoppin John possible, you need to pair it with some tasty side dishes.

If you’ve been searching for a great side dish, look no further.

These eight options are sure to be crowd-pleasers at your next family gathering.

Which of these dishes will you make first?

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