Y’all know I’m from Oklahoma, proper? I grew up consuming cowboy caviar, additionally referred to as Texas caviar. It’s a traditional bean salad recipe standard within the South. You’ll be able to serve it as a aspect salad or as salsa. Both method, individuals go loopy for cowboy caviar at potlucks.
Cowboy caviar is made with black-eyed peas and black beans, chopped tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, onion and cilantro tossed in tangy Italian dressing. I sometimes consider cowboy caviar as a heat climate salad, nevertheless it’s made with components which might be available year-round.
Cowboy caviar is definitely excellent for New Yr’s in case you’re craving one thing contemporary but hearty, and attempting to hit your black-eyed pea quota!
I’ve one subject with most cowboy caviar recipes—they’re typically swimming in store-bought Italian salad dressing. As such, they are often method too oily and comprise some pointless preservatives. As a substitute, I whisked collectively a easy, home made Italian dressing from scratch. It’s simple to do and tastes incredible.
This recipe yields a giant bowl of dip, however I don’t assume you’ll have any hassle sprucing it off. I hope you get pleasure from this cheekily titled delight!
Cowboy Caviar Substances
You’ll discover the total recipe under. The Italian dressing is made with pantry components. Right here’s what it’s essential know in regards to the contemporary components:
Black-Eyed Peas and Black Beans
Beans type the spine of this wholesome salad. Canned beans are high quality to make use of, or you’ll be able to cook dinner your personal in case you’d like. One can is equal to 1 and a half cups cooked beans.
Tip: Drain your beans and corn very properly earlier than including them to the bowl. In the event that they’re watery, they’ll dilute the flavour of the French dressing.
Corn
Relying on the season and availability, you may favor to shuck contemporary corn, or use frozen corn (merely soak it in cool water till totally defrosted), or open a can of corn.
Tomatoes
Ripe crimson tomatoes are superb. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I attain for Roma tomatoes (three to 4 of them) or cherry tomatoes (one pint can be excellent for this recipe). You can use canned tomatoes, however it’s going to change the flavour and the vibe a bit. Recent is finest.
Bell Pepper and Jalapeño
Pink, orange or yellow bell pepper will do. When you can tolerate a bit of warmth, you’ll love the jalapeños. When you’re nervous in regards to the jalapeño, you’ll be able to cut back the spiciness by utilizing simply considered one of them, and being positive to take away the seeds and membranes earlier than chopping.
Pink Onion and Cilantro
I do know these components may be polarizing and I promise there’s not an excessive amount of of both in them on this recipe. Don’t skip them!
Tip: Take care to cut your components small to maintain with the “caviar” textural theme.
Non-compulsory Avocado
Whereas untraditional, ripe avocado is a welcome addition to this bean salad. Wait so as to add avocado simply earlier than serving so it doesn’t brown, or serve particular person parts with just a few strips of avocado on high.
Watch How you can Make Cowboy Caviar
How you can Serve Texas Caviar
Serve your cowboy caviar as a bean salad or as a dip with sturdy tortilla chips. This recipe occurs to be vegan and gluten free, so it’s going to please everybody at a celebration. It’s additionally an awesome wholesome snack to maintain within the fridge and retains properly for a number of days.
Cowboy caviar is gorgeous for lunch with a sandwich or quesadilla, and even for breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs and a heat tortilla.
You may also flip this dip right into a inexperienced salad by serving it on lettuce. Add a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas (inexperienced pumpkin seeds).
Extra Recent Bean Salads to Make
Love this cowboy caviar? You’ll additionally get pleasure from these vibrant bean salads.
Please let me understand how your cowboy caviar seems within the feedback! I like listening to from you.
Wholesome Cowboy Caviar
- Creator:
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Whole Time: half-hour
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Class: Appetizer
- Methodology: By hand
- Delicacies: Southern
- Food plan: Vegan
This cowboy caviar recipe (also referred to as Texas caviar) is constituted of scratch with all-natural components! Serve it as a dip, salsa or salad—it’ll be successful at your subsequent get together. Recipe yields quite a lot of “caviar,” about 8 cups.
Scale
Substances
Cowboy caviar
- 2 cans (14 ounces every) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
- 1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 ½ cups contemporary or defrosted frozen corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn), or 1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained
- 1 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about ¾ pound)
- 1 medium crimson, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ¾ cup chopped crimson onion (about ½ small crimson onion)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, ribs eliminated, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 avocado (elective)
Italian dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons crimson wine vinegar or lime juice
- 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt, to style
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- ⅛ teaspoon crimson pepper flakes
- Freshly floor black pepper, to style
Directions
- In a big serving bowl, mix the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. When you’ll be together with avocado, wait to cube it till you’re able to serve the dip, so it doesn’t flip brown within the meantime.
- In a cup, whisk collectively the dressing components till properly blended. Drizzle the dressing over the serving bowl and toss till properly blended. Season to style with extra salt and pepper. When you’d just like the salad to have extra of a pickled taste, add one other tablespoon of vinegar, or for extra richness, add one other tablespoon or two of olive oil.
- For finest taste, let the combination marinate for at the very least 20 minutes earlier than serving. When you’re including avocado, combine it in simply earlier than serving.
Notes
Serving options: Don’t overlook the chips! I additionally like to show this dip right into a inexperienced salad by serving it on lettuce with a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas.
Storage options: This dip retains properly within the fridge, coated, for as much as 4 days.
▸ Diet Info
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