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 fashionable within the South. You may 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, but it surely’s made with elements which are available year-round.
Cowboy caviar is definitely good for New Yr’s in the event you’re craving one thing contemporary but hearty, and attempting to hit your black-eyed pea quota!
I’ve one difficulty with most cowboy caviar recipes—they’re usually swimming in store-bought Italian salad dressing. As such, they are often method too oily and include some pointless preservatives. As a substitute, I whisked collectively a easy, do-it-yourself Italian dressing from scratch. It’s straightforward to do and tastes incredible.
This recipe yields an enormous bowl of dip, however I don’t suppose you’ll have any bother sharpening it off. I hope you take pleasure in this cheekily titled delight!
Cowboy Caviar Components
You’ll discover the total recipe under. The Italian dressing is made with pantry elements. Right here’s what that you must know concerning the contemporary elements:
Black-Eyed Peas and Black Beans
Beans kind the spine of this wholesome salad. Canned beans are advantageous to make use of, or you may cook dinner your individual in the event you’d like. One can is equal to 1 and a half cups cooked beans.
Tip: Drain your beans and corn very effectively 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 would possibly desire 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 ideally suited. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I attain for Roma tomatoes (three to 4 of them) or cherry tomatoes (one pint can be good for this recipe). You may use canned tomatoes, however it is 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. If you happen to can tolerate a bit of warmth, you’ll love the jalapeños. If you happen to’re nervous concerning the jalapeño, you may scale back the spiciness through the use of simply one among them, and being certain to take away the seeds and membranes earlier than chopping.
Pink Onion and Cilantro
I do know these elements 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 elements small to maintain with the “caviar” textural theme.
Optionally available 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 a number of strips of avocado on high.
Watch Easy methods to Make Cowboy Caviar
Easy methods to 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 is going to please everybody at a celebration. It’s additionally an excellent wholesome snack to maintain within the fridge and retains effectively for a number of days.
Cowboy caviar is beautiful for lunch with a sandwich or quesadilla, and even for breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs and a heat tortilla.
You can too 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 take pleasure in these vibrant bean salads.
Please let me understand how your cowboy caviar seems within the feedback! I really like listening to from you.
Wholesome Cowboy Caviar
- Creator:
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Whole Time: half-hour
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Class: Appetizer
- Technique: By hand
- Delicacies: Southern
- Weight-reduction plan: Vegan
This cowboy caviar recipe (also called Texas caviar) is created from scratch with all-natural elements! Serve it as a dip, salsa or salad—it’ll be successful at your subsequent celebration. Recipe yields loads of “caviar,” about 8 cups.
Scale
Components
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 (non-compulsory)
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. If you happen to’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 elements till effectively blended. Drizzle the dressing over the serving bowl and toss till effectively combined. Season to style with further salt and pepper. If you happen to’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 least 20 minutes earlier than serving. If you happen to’re including avocado, combine it in simply earlier than serving.
Notes
Serving strategies: Don’t neglect 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 strategies: This dip retains effectively within the fridge, lined, for as much as 4 days.
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