Cowboy Caviar ~ whether you call it Texas caviar, black bean salsa, black-eyed pea salad, or Southwestern bean dip, this all-American cross between a salsa and a salad is just plain GOOD! It’s a multi-tasker that’s always welcome at barbecues and potlucks, and it has Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and 4th of July written all over it.
Cowboy caviar is traditionally anchored by black beans and black-eyed peas. I used a can of black beans, but when I couldn’t locate canned black-eyed peas at my store, I used dried. They don’t need to be soaked, and they cook up surprisingly quickly. I love the contrast between the two types of beans, it’s a really pretty effect in the caviar.
Color is key to the charm of this cowboy caviar ~ bold bell peppers pop against the black and white beans…with bright yellow corn, vivid red tomatoes, black olives along with pimento stuffed greens, and purple onions all contributing to the rainbow effect.
Some other possible ingredients you might use in your cowboy caviar:
- avocado
- green onions
- jicama
- zucchini
- carrots
- garden peas
- cucumber
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans, well rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can of black-eyed peas, well rinsed and drained
- 1 ear of corn, kernels removed (the corn can be cooked or raw)
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 1/3 cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely diced orange bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes
- 1-2 jalapenos (to taste) minced
- 1/4 cup chopped green stuffed olives
- 1/4 cup chopped black or kalamata olives
- a large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice to 2 large limes
- 1 tsp chipotle chili pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and taste to adjust it to your liking.
- Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently.
- The salad is best if made a couple of hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop and mingle. It keeps for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes:
- These amounts are approximate, you will just eyeball it. A rough guide is to include an equal amount of veggies to beans ~ and lots of cilantro
- The corn can be cooked or raw, but I think it has the best flavor when it’s grilled, and it gets nice char marks that way, too. You can set it right on the grill in or out of its husk, and turn frequently with tongs until it starts to steam or soften.
