Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar) is a zesty mix of black beans, black-eyed peas, veggies, and a tangy chili-lime vinaigrette—perfect as an appetizer, a side, or potluck hit!
Servings: 8 servings as an appetizer
Cost: $10.62
Equipment
- Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
Salad/Dip
- 1-3/4 cups sweet corn fresh or frozen
- 1-3/4 cups cherry tomatoes quartered, 1 (10-ounce) container
- 1 cup diced bell peppers I use 1/2 red and 1/2 green pepper
- 1/3 cup diced red onion see note 1
- 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño see note 2
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro measured after chopping; 1 bunch
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 2 ripe avocados 1 cup, optional
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 large lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Aim to dice the vegetables to roughly the same size as the beans for the best results. If using fresh corn, cut it off the cob. Sauté fresh or frozen corn in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, about 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Let cool completely before adding. Quarter cherry tomatoes, dice bell peppers, and finely dice jalapeño and cilantro.
- Add all the prepped vegetables to a large bowl with the drained and rinsed black beans and black-eyed peas.
- Zest and juice lime to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Add zest and juice along with all other dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Seal the jar and shake until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon each).
- Right before serving, dice the optional avocados and gently stir them into the caviar. Drizzle with dressing. (Feel free to use less dressing if desired.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed (I add up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt).
Video
Notes
Note 1: To reduce the sharpness of the red onion, soak the diced onions in salted ice water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to the dish.
Note 2: To control the heat, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño pepper. For more heat, leave some seeds in.
Storage: If not serving immediately, store the dressing separately from the caviar and add the avocados just before eating. For leftovers, only add dressing and avocado to the portion being served and store the components separately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1061IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg