Texas Caviar Recipe (cowboy Caviar)

For years, I avoided this cowboy legume crockery anytime I saw it astatine a potluck aliases outdoor party. If you’re for illustration maine and didn’t turn up eating it, you mightiness work together that immoderate versions tin beryllium overly sweet.

Then I came crossed Dorie Greenspan’s type successful her cookbook Everyday Dorie (affiliate link) and decided to springiness it different shot. To my surprise, it was thing for illustration what I had tasted before. Her cowboy caviar dressing was perfectly tangy pinch conscionable a touch of sweetness, balancing retired nan earthy beans successful nan champion way.

This recipe, sometimes called Texas Caviar, Cowboy Caviar, Cowboy Salad, aliases moreover Cowboy Bean Dip, is my return connected her version, pinch a fewer insignificant tweaks.

Whatever sanction you use, it’s 1 of nan easiest dishes to propulsion together, and it useful arsenic a dip, a salad, aliases a chunky salsa cleanable pinch a broadside of tortilla chips.

Texas Caviar Ingredients

For a speedy overview, find nan afloat database of ingredients successful nan look paper below. But for genuinely foolproof results, present are my apical tips arsenic you shop and prep:

The Dressing Ingredients:

Some versions of this look usage bottled Italian dressing, but I find those to beryllium overly oily and lacking successful depth. What makes this Cowboy Caviar dip different is nan homemade lime and oliva lipid dressing. It’s conscionable capable to overgarment nan beans and veggies without weighing them down, adding brightness and equilibrium successful each bite.

Here are a mates of adjuvant constituent notes arsenic you make nan dressing:

Lime zest and lime juice: My type of nan Texas Caviar dressing uses some lime zest and caller lime juice to bring retired a bright, tangy flavor. Four tablespoons of lime juice mightiness sound for illustration a lot, but spot me, it’s conscionable nan correct amount.

If you for illustration a milder taste, you tin usage 2 tablespoons of reddish vino vinegar and trim nan lime juice to 2 tablespoons.

And conscionable a speedy tip: it’s ever easier to zest nan lime earlier squeezing it.

Spices: I usage a mini magnitude of crushed cumin and saccharine paprika, pursuing Dorie’s recipe. I deliberation they adhd a beautiful extent and a invited punch. Still, if you’re not a instrumentality of either spice, consciousness free to time off them out.

Sweetener: I almost ever scope for earthy sweeteners for illustration chromatic aliases maple syrup, but granulated sweetener useful successful a pinch if that’s what you person connected hand.

Garlic: Whenever I make a crockery dressing, I emotion utilizing caller garlic. I deliberation nan crisp wound and extent of spirit conscionable can’t beryllium replicated. But if you for illustration thing milder, you tin substitute it pinch 1 spoon of ail powder.

Salad Ingredients:

Beans: I usage a operation of achromatic beans and black-eyed peas successful my type of this Cowboy Caviar salad. In my opinion, black-eyed peas are beautiful overmuch a must successful immoderate Texas Caviar dip recipe. You tin switch reddish kidney beans aliases pinto beans successful spot of nan achromatic beans if you’d like, and you’ll still get nan bosom of nan dish.

Canned beans thief support things speedy and easy, but you tin perfectly navigator them from scratch if that’s your preference.

Just beryllium judge to rinse and barren them good earlier assembling nan crockery to debar other liquid watering it down.

Corn: In nan summer, I emotion utilizing caller shucked maize erstwhile it’s successful season. But if you’re making this astatine different clip of year, stiff (and thawed) aliases canned (rinsed and drained) maize useful conscionable arsenic well.

Onion: I usage a operation of finely chopped greenish onions and reddish onions because I emotion nan chopped flavors each 1 adds. You get a operation of color, crunch, and some mild and crisp flavors. If you for illustration a milder taste, you tin time off retired nan reddish onion. Or if you want thing pinch much bite, skip nan greenish and conscionable usage red.

Peppers: Most Texas Caviar recipes usage a operation of reddish doorbell peppers and jalapeño, and for bully reason. Each 1 brings its ain unsocial flavor. If you for illustration a spot of heat, consciousness free to time off immoderate of nan jalapeño seeds successful for a touch of spiciness.

Tomatoes: During nan summertime months, I emotion utilizing colorful cherry tomatoes for this Texas Caviar dip. But really, immoderate benignant of herb will work. Heirloom, beefsteak, aliases moreover regular Roma tomatoes are each bully options. Just beryllium judge to trim them into small, bite-sized pieces truthful they operation easy pinch nan different ingredients.

Avocado: It is optional and not traditional, but I deliberation a ripe avocado makes a awesome addition, particularly if you’re readying to service this arsenic a dip pinch chips connected nan side. Just beryllium judge to trim it into mini cubes truthful it blends successful nicely.

Fresh Herbs: I utilized a fistful of finely chopped caller cilantro leaves, but if you are not a fan, you tin usage caller parsley instead.

How To Make Texas Caviar?

Making this look takes nary much than 15-20 minutes and requires nary typical equipment. 

Step 1 – Make nan Cowboy Caviar Dressing: 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together nan oliva oil, lime zest, lime juice, crushed cumin, paprika, kosher salt, honey, and ail until afloat combined.

Or, if you prefer, adhd everything to a mason jar, put nan lid on, and springiness it a bully shake.

You tin besides make nan dressing a time aliases 2 up of clip to velocity things up moreover much erstwhile you’re fresh to combine nan dip.

Step 2 – Assemble nan salad:

In a ample crockery bowl, harvester nan drained and rinsed achromatic beans and black-eyed peas pinch nan maize kernels, scallions, reddish onion, doorbell peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes, and chopped cilantro.

If you’re utilizing avocado, I urge adding it conscionable earlier serving truthful it doesn’t brown.

Step 3 – Drizzle and Serve:

Drizzle nan dressing complete nan crockery and mildly flip to combine, being observant not to break up nan beans excessively much.

This is besides a bully clip to springiness it a sensation and set nan seasoning if needed.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips:

One of nan champion things astir this Cowboy Salad look is that it tin beryllium made up of clip (one aliases 2 days). In fact, I urge it because nan other clip allows nan flavors to mingle and develop. Here’s really I do it:

• To make ahead:
  Prepare nan dressing and chop each nan crockery ingredients isolated from nan avocado. Toss everything together successful a ample bowl, drizzle pinch nan dressing, screen tightly, and refrigerate. If you’re utilizing avocado, adhd it conscionable earlier serving to support it from browning.
• Storing leftovers:
  Transfer immoderate leftover Cowboy Caviar to an airtight instrumentality and support it successful nan fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving, springiness it a bully operation and freshen it up pinch a compression of lime juice and a sprinkle of brackish if needed.

Cowboy Caviar Variations and Substitutions

Making this Cowboy Caviar dip your ain is easy because, let’s look it, this elemental look is endlessly customizable. Here are a fewer ideas to get you started:

• Add much veggies: You tin battalion your Cowboy Caviar pinch moreover much caller vegetables. Try thinly sliced cucumbers, chopped celery, aliases moreover finely diced radishes for other crunch and color.
• Add fruit: I’ve seen versions of this look made pinch saccharine consequence for illustration mango aliases pineapple. It mightiness sound unexpected, but nan sweetness pairs nicely pinch nan tangy dressing, adding a refreshing twist, particularly erstwhile served arsenic a dip pinch chips.
• Switch up nan dressing: While my favourite portion of this look is nan tangy lime dressing, I sometimes alteration things up pinch my chili lime vinaigrette, which incorporates chili powder and adds a much Mexican-inspired twist.
• Toss successful grains: I emotion adding a cup of cooked quinoa, wild rice aliases farro to make it a filling crockery particularly if I americium making this look arsenic a portion of my play repast prep.
• Make it vegan: If you for illustration a vegan version, conscionable switch nan chromatic for maple syrup aliases agave.

What To Serve pinch Texas Caviar?

It’s nary concealed that this look makes a awesome broadside crockery aliases appetizer, whether you’re heading to a summertime BBQ, a potluck, aliases packing luncheon for work. But if you’d for illustration to move it into a afloat meal, you person plentifulness of options. Here are a fewer ideas:

• Grilled Meats and seafood: Serve it alongside grilled chicken, shrimp, aliases salmon for a ray and colorful plate. It’s a cleanable lucifer for summertime cookouts aliases easy weeknight dinners.
• With chips connected nan side: This Cowboy Salsa look makes a awesome appetizer erstwhile served pinch tortilla chips. I for illustration utilizing nan scoopable kind, truthful you tin get a small spot of everything successful each bite.
• With eggs: Scrambled eggs wrapped successful a tortilla pinch a generous spoonful of Texas Caviar makes an fantabulous meal burrito. It adds freshness, texture, and conscionable nan correct magnitude of zing to your greeting meal.

FAQs

More Delicious Bean Salads You’ll Love

Fan of legume salads? Me too! Here are a fewer much that you mightiness like:

• My Corn and Black Bean Salad is yet different awesome replacement to a legume crockery that you tin service pinch chips connected nan side.
• What makes my Five Bean Salad recipe nan champion legume crockery is nan garlicky mustard dressing. Just for illustration this cowboy caviar recipe, it uses a operation of canned beans and immoderate lightly boiled caller greenish beans.
• If you person other achromatic eyed peas, past my Black Eyed Peas Salad is conscionable arsenic caller and satisfying. Not to mention, it takes 15 minutes to make.