Cowboy Caviar
This Cowboy Caviar is a colorful, crowd-pleasing mix of black eyed peas, black beans, sweet corn, and fresh veggies tossed in a tangy homemade lime vinaigrette. It requires zero cooking, comes together in about 20 minutes of chopping, and actually tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge. Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, a side salad, or a topping for grilled chicken—it disappears within minutes every single time.
Equipment
- Sharp chef's knife
- Large cutting board A larger board saves you from constantly clearing space when prepping this many vegetables
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl or jar For whisking or shaking the dressing
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
- Colander For draining and rinsing the beans
- Airtight storage container Glass containers with tight seals work best so they don't hold onto the smell of onion and lime
- Vegetable chopper (optional) Turns the dicing work from fifteen minutes into about five and keeps pieces evenly sized
- Handheld citrus juicer (optional) Gets every last drop out of the lime without the seeds
- Glass meal prep containers with lids (optional) For storing leftovers for days
- Large bamboo cutting board (optional) Gentle on your knife edge and easy to wipe clean between ingredients
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 can black eyed peas 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 can sweet corn 15 oz, drained; or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced small, roughly the size of the beans
- 1 red bell pepper diced small
- 1 green bell pepper diced small
- 1/2 red onion finely diced; soak in cold water for 5 minutes and drain if raw onion is too sharp
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced; remove white ribs and seeds for a milder result
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped; leaves and tender stems
- 1 ripe avocado diced; add just before serving so it doesn't brown or get mushy
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
For Serving
- tortilla chips sturdy chips or pita chips, for scooping
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and honey.
- Add the chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder.
- Whisk vigorously or seal the jar and shake until the dressing looks smooth and slightly thickened.
- Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then taste and adjust. It should taste bright and a little tangy, not flat. Set aside.
- Open the cans of black eyed peas, black beans, and corn.
- Pour the black eyed peas and black beans into a colander and rinse under cool water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
- Drain the corn separately, or if using frozen corn, make sure it's fully thawed and patted dry with a paper towel.
- Dice the cherry tomatoes into small pieces, roughly the size of the beans, and set them aside.
- Dice the red and green bell peppers into similarly small, even pieces.
- Finely dice the red onion. If you find raw onion too sharp, soak the diced pieces in cold water for five minutes, then drain.
- Seed and finely mince the jalapeno, removing the white ribs and seeds if you prefer a milder result.
- Roughly chop the fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems.
- In your largest mixing bowl, add the drained black eyed peas, black beans, and corn.
- Add the diced tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, jalapeno, and chopped cilantro.
- Pour the dressing over the top.
- Using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold everything together until every piece is coated in dressing.
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, to let the flavors meld together.
- Just before serving, dice the avocado and gently fold it into the salad so it doesn't turn to mush.
- Give everything one more taste, and add a bit more salt, lime juice, or chili powder if it needs it.
- Serve chilled with tortilla chips alongside, or spoon it into a smaller bowl for the table.
Notes
- Dice everything small. Aim for pieces close to the size of the beans, so every scoop gets a little of everything.
- Rinse your canned beans well. This cuts down on excess sodium and keeps the dressing from turning cloudy.
- Add the avocado last. Folding it in right before serving keeps it from browning or getting mushy.
- Let it chill. Thirty minutes minimum, but a few hours makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Taste before serving. Acidity and salt levels can mellow out after chilling, so adjust right before you serve it.
- Watch the heat for a crowd. Use a light hand with the jalapeno if you're serving mixed spice tolerance, and offer hot sauce on the side instead.
- Make ahead: Prepare up to a day in advance and add the avocado right before serving. Without avocado, the base salad keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Give it a good stir before serving since the dressing settles at the bottom. A small squeeze of fresh lime juice brings the flavor back to life after a day or two.
- Do not freeze. The fresh vegetables and beans turn watery and lose their texture once thawed.
- Substitutions: Pinto beans or kidney beans work well in place of black eyed peas. Use two red or orange bell peppers instead of one red and one green for a sweeter flavor. Add diced mango or pineapple for a tropical twist, or whisk in dry ranch seasoning for a tangy, herby edge.
- Origin: Cowboy Caviar and Texas Caviar are two names for this same bean and vegetable salad, which originated in Texas decades ago.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 230mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 10mg
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