Description
Cowboy Caviar is a vibrant, zesty, and colorful salad combining black beans, black-eyed peas, fresh vegetables, and a tangy dressing. Perfect as a quick side dish, dip, or topping for tacos, this no-cook recipe comes together in minutes and offers a refreshing blend of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Beans and Legumes
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
Vegetables and Fruits
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup sweet corn (fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed)
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1–2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Drain and rinse the black beans and black-eyed peas thoroughly. Chop all vegetables, halving the cherry tomatoes, dicing the red and orange bell peppers and red onion finely. Dice the avocado last to minimize browning.
- Combine Salad Components: In a large mixing bowl, add the drained beans, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, diced bell peppers, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro. Gently mix to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, garlic powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and honey or maple syrup if using. Whisk until the ingredients emulsify and form a smooth dressing.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the combined salad ingredients. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat every component with the flavorful dressing.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the dressed cowboy caviar for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled as a dip with chips, use as a taco topping, or alongside grilled proteins for a vibrant addition to your meal.
Notes
- Dicing the avocado last helps prevent it from browning quickly.
- You can use fresh, canned, or thawed frozen corn depending on availability.
- Honey or maple syrup is optional but adds a nice touch of sweetness to balance the acidity.
- Chilling the salad enhances the flavor by allowing the dressing to marinate the ingredients.
- Perfect for summer barbecues, potlucks, or as an easy weeknight side dish.
