Cowboy Caviar ~ whether you call it Texas caviar, black bean salsa, black-eyed pea salad, or Southwestern bean dip, this all-American cross between a salsa and a salad is just plain GOOD! It’s a multi-tasker that’s always welcome at barbecues and potlucks, and it has Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and 4th of July written all over it.
Cowboy caviar is a healthy rainbow bean salad that doubles as a dip, a salsa, and an all around people pleaser!
Sit me down in front of a bowl of this colorful cowboy caviar, throw in a pile of chips, and I won’t come up for air until I’ve polished it off ~ definitely my kind of food. And between the beans and all the veggies, this is substantial food, chunky enough to double as a side dish. But whether you call it a dip, salsa or salad, it’s a healthy dynamo, so the more you scoop up with your chips or pile on your plate, the better.
Cowboy caviar is traditionally anchored by black beans and black-eyed peas.
I used a can of black beans, but when I couldn’t locate canned black-eyed peas at my store, I used dried. They don’t need to be soaked, and they cook up surprisingly quickly. I love the contrast between the two types of beans, it’s a really pretty effect in the caviar.
A vegetable chopper comes in handy with this recipe
because there are so many things to chop and you want them all to be evenly and finely diced. In my Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa post I go into detail about why I love my Alligator Chopper. if you do a lot of recipes that require fine chopping, it’s a wonderful time saver. If you plan to use this cowboy caviar as a salad you can afford to go a little bigger with the size of the pieces and a knife will work just fine. But for a salsa, everything needs to be fine enough to fit nicely on a chip!
Color is key to the charm of this cowboy caviar ~
bold bell peppers pop against the black and white beans…with bright yellow corn, vivid red tomatoes, black olives along with pimento stuffed greens, and purple onions all contributing to the rainbow effect.
Other ingredients to use in your cowboy caviar:
- avocado
- green onions
- jicama
- zucchini
- carrots
- garden peas
- cucumber
Reader Rave ~
“This is one of my favorite tailgate snacks to make!! The colors are perfection!” ~ Annie
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 1 15- ounce can of black beans well rinsed and drained
- 1 15- ounce can of black-eyed peas well rinsed and drained
- 1 ear of corn kernels removed (the corn can be cooked or raw)
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 1/3 cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely diced orange bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes
- 1-2 jalapenos to taste minced
- 1/4 cup chopped green stuffed olives
- 1/4 cup chopped black or kalamata olives
- a large handful of fresh cilantro leaves chopped
dressing
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice to 2 large limes
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and taste to adjust it to your liking.
- Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently.
- The salad is best if made a couple of hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop and mingle. It keeps for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- These amounts are approximate, you will just eyeball it. A rough guide is to include an equal amount of veggies to beans ~ and lots of cilantro 🙂
- The corn can be cooked or raw, but I think it has the best flavor when it's grilled, and it gets nice char marks that way, too. You can set it right on the grill in or out of its husk, and turn frequently with tongs until it starts to steam or soften.
- I've got a thing for bean salads ~ check out my MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD, it's made with chickpeas and creamy cannelini beans. My LAYERED 7-BEAN SALAD IN A JAR is a fun way to serve a healthy salad at parties, but also a handy grab and go working lunch. And my DECONSTRUCTED HUMMUS SALAD is a chunky take on everybody's favorite appetizer.
- My pretty blue bowl is made by one of tvfgi's own AMERICAN ARTISANS!
Thanks for pinning this colorful and healthy cowboy caviar!
39 Comments
Richelle Dall'Acqua
December 7, 2020 at 9:29 amHi ?
Just a quick thankyou, my family loves this recipe & I get many requests. We also enjoy the tropical ?hot dogs & your jalapeño cornbread recipe ?
Also If its not too nosey what brand of colorful bowls are you using to display the cowboy cavier & your beautiful cous cous salads? They are just Beautiful!
Happy Cooking!
R Dall’Acqua
Sue
December 7, 2020 at 9:43 amHi Richelle, the pottery is by my friend Sandy Kreyer, I’ve done a post all about here here.
Richelle Dall'Acqua
December 7, 2020 at 10:18 amPOSITIVELY GORGEOUS!!! I will be buying one from her! Thankyou so much for the quick reply and the information! Keep up your Wonderful Inspirations & recipes they bring such fun & joy !!!!
Sue
December 7, 2020 at 11:08 amHappy Holidays <3
Anna Jennings
January 18, 2018 at 11:52 amQuestion: can the corn be canned (rinsed and drained)? I did buy one ear of corn but it’s pitiful looking and I have a bag of frozen white corn. Which do you think? I love your recipes and photos. Thank you:).
Sue
January 18, 2018 at 12:30 pmThanks Anna <3 I prefer fresh, and next to that, frozen, but you can use canned in a pinch. I would definitely rinse well to get rid of an much of that ‘canned’ flavor as possible.
Kat
January 4, 2018 at 9:53 amWe have been eating this for years – the original recipe I found was Texas Caviar…but we just call it ‘crack’ now – even though our recipe makes a bunch, we always double it as much of it gets eaten literally, right out of the bowl. The dressing we use is a mix of rice wine vinegar, cumin, olive oil, garlic powder and chili powder – boiled for few minutes then cooled – to die for!! Thanks for sharing and reminding me that it’s been a while since I made this.
Sue
January 4, 2018 at 10:53 amThe chili powder sounds like a fabulous idea. I don’t think about making this so much in the colder months, but maybe I should!
Bruce
December 21, 2017 at 5:37 amSue: Nice colors and excellent repertoire! An alternative suggestion: Black or Beluga Lentils to sub for black beans. These will have to be cooked for about 30 minutes. The effect is stunning as the lentils more closely resemble caviar in shape and size. Also they present great contrast in green leaf salads with arugula, for example. I’m seeing our local gourmet restaurants including them in their salads. Great ideas you’re showcasing. Why eat bland when, as Petula Clark sang back in the day, “You can Color my world with sunshine!”
Sue
December 21, 2017 at 8:15 amLove that idea, those little black lentils are wonderful, and I think they’d be great in this salsa, thanks Bruce 🙂
Janet
May 4, 2017 at 12:38 pmWant to make this! In the Dressing ingredients, is it supposed to be 1 tspn. chipotle chili powder OR 1 tspn. chipotle chili pepper, as it appears? Thank you!
Sue
July 3, 2017 at 11:46 amThat’s powder, sorry Janet, I fixed it!
[email protected]
April 29, 2017 at 6:31 amThis is one of my favorite tailgate snacks to make!! The colors are perfection!
Sue
April 29, 2017 at 11:59 amThanks Annie, the colors make it so much more fun and delicious!
cheri
April 28, 2017 at 7:42 amLove this amazing bowl of goodness and all the flavors, my kind of salad.
Laura | Tutti Dolci
April 27, 2017 at 11:56 amYes please, I could easily eat my weight in this colorful salsa! (All I need is a margarita to go with! ;))
Sue
April 28, 2017 at 7:16 amI’m glad you like this Laura, and yes, I pretty much did eat my weight in it…and I’m not sorry 🙂
sippitysup
April 27, 2017 at 11:00 amThis would be hard to resist on any holiday buffet table. GREG
Sue
April 28, 2017 at 7:16 amthanks Greg ~ and the bonus is that it keeps so well, no wilting or spoiling.
Chris Scheuer
April 26, 2017 at 12:09 pmI wouldn’t even need chips for this. I’d eat it right out of the bowl like a salad! LOVE!! It’s so pretty and colorful too!
Monique
April 26, 2017 at 11:47 amThis must be super popular..you are the second one topost today! Must try!
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
April 26, 2017 at 9:12 amCowboy Caviar! What a fascinating name! I am never ever calling it ‘black bean salad’ ever again!!!!
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 9:30 amHaha! Caviar is a great description of the texture, isn’t it?
John/Kitchen Riffs
April 26, 2017 at 9:06 amLove both black beans and black-eyed peas, but given my druthers (glad I don’t have to make the decision!), it’s black-eyed peas all the way for me. And you’re right — they cook so quickly, don’t they? Love the looks of this. And the flavor! Good stuff — thanks.
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 10:32 amTo be honest John I barely cooked them at all, after they came to a boil for a minute, I turned off the heat and let them soak for an hour. They were just perfect and still had a nice ‘bite’ to them. I decided not to go into that method in the post because some people say you shouldn’t eat under cooked beans ~ the jury is still out on how much they have to be cooked to be safe.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
April 26, 2017 at 8:49 amGoodness this bowl of deliciousness looks fantastic. All the color and textures and the flavor must be over the top! Brilliant recipe for any get together or for my lunch for the week 🙂
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 10:33 amThis is the perfect take along salad, you’re right Tricia ~
Anya
April 26, 2017 at 8:42 amSuch a colorful dish/caviar/salad/dip/etc… Love that this can be a meal in and of itself. So filling and healthy.
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 8:46 amIt really can be a meal, Anya, and a healthy one at that. A great working lunch too 🙂
Luci's Morsels
April 26, 2017 at 8:16 amI love a quick and healthy snack! This looks like it certainly won’t disappoint. Yummy! Thank you for sharing!
Meeta
April 26, 2017 at 7:56 amI like that Cowboy Caviar – never quite heard it p
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
April 26, 2017 at 7:46 amI am totally addicted to this stuff and could put it on everything. Grilled chicken or fish – yes! I have never added olives and jalapenos but I’ll bet it adds so much flavor. Perfect spring and summer potluck dish.
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 7:52 amAddicted is the right word for it, this salad pushes all my buttons!
Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen
April 26, 2017 at 7:32 amGorgeous gorgeous salsa!! I bet there’s never any leftovers!! (I love the bowl too!)
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 7:50 amThanks Deborah ~ this recipe makes a big batch but we had no trouble going through it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
April 26, 2017 at 5:02 amI have never tried cowboy caviar, but putting it on my list to try right now! Looks delicious and such a great snack 🙂
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 7:12 amI really loved this Jennifer, and it absolutely makes a great high protein pick-me-up snack any time!
[email protected]'s Recipes
April 26, 2017 at 3:11 amLots of colours and flavours…my kind of everyday salsa! I love your salsa bowl too, Sue.
Sue
April 26, 2017 at 7:57 amThanks Angie, that bowl is from one of my AMERICAN ARTISANS: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/kiln-house-pottery-giveaway/