Description
Cowboy Caviar, also known as Texas Caviar, is a colorful, dense bean salad tossed in a tangy lime vinaigrette. Packed with black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, avocado, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and cotija cheese, it’s a fresh and hearty dish that works just as well as a dip with chips as it does a side for BBQs, potlucks, or easy weeknight meals.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 4 tsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp (21 g) honey
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup (20 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
For the Salad
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large avocado (about 275 g), diced
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed (can use sweet corn)
- 1 cup (180 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large red bell pepper (about 175 g), diced
- ½ large red onion (about 115 g), finely diced
- 1–2 jalapeños or Fresno chilies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- 6 oz (170 g) cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Make the Dressing – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, honey, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cilantro until smooth and well combined.
- Add the Salad Ingredients – To the same bowl, add the black beans, black-eyed peas, avocado, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, chilies, and cotija cheese.
- Toss Gently – Fold everything together until evenly coated in the dressing.
- Chill (Optional) – You can serve it right away, but it’s even better if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Storage: Store Cowboy Caviar in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best within 2–3 days, as the avocado softens the longer it sits.
Salt: This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt or another brand, start with less and adjust to taste, as the grains are denser.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/2 cup
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg