Cowboy Caviar
COWBOY CAVIAR RECIPE
Cowboy caviar is having a major moment. YEE-FREAKIN-HAW!
And I’m so here for it! I am a longtime cowboy caviar stan, so when it started trending on Tik Tok recently I was very happy (/also felt really old seeing people half my age get excited about something I’ve been eating longer than they’ve been alive haha).
SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS COWBOY CAVIAR?
Don’t worry if you don’t know. Dave didn’t either (so clearly I needed to educate him stat haha I mean, any excuse to make a batch of cowboy caviar, am I right??!)). So, cowboy caviar, also known as Texas caviar, is a bit like a super loaded fresh salsa meets salad meets dip sitch. Aka the complete opposite and farthest thing from actual caviar. And, I guess, cowboys, if we’re being real. Essentially, it’s a mix of beans, fresh vegetables, seasonings and herbs all tossed together with a simple dressing. It’s super light, fresh, vibrant, zesty, protein-packed, fiber-filled and nutritious and can even be made lower fat (by omitting things like the avocados and even the oil, if you really want). It’s vegan (or vegetarian if you choose to add cheese). Outside of all the chopping prep work, it comes together within minutes and all in one bowl (Bonus points- use a bowl with a lid so you can make AND store it all in the same dish). Plus, most of the ingredients are relatively inexpensive and super accessible and you more than likely already have most, if not all, of them on hand. And it’s great for everything from snacks to meals to parties.
HOW DO YOU MAKE COWBOY CAVIAR
A whole lot of chop, chop, chopping. Cowboy caviar is super easy to make, but does involve a whole lot of chopping. And when I say a lot I do mean a lot. The entire recipe is essentially one big vegetable chopping fest, minus some quick can opening and a little salad dressing drizzling. Feel free to chop by hand, or, if you prefer, you can make it a little easier by using a food processor or chopping tool for the chopping assist (although I wouldn’t use it for the avocado). Whichever way you slice it (pun not intended). As long as everything is finely diced into tiny bite-sized pieces (think pico de gallo style), that’s what matters here. Once the veggies are chopped, everything gets drizzled with a few simple dressing ingredients (you’re welcome to mix up the vinaigrette separately than toss it with the veggies, but, for the sake of ease and less mess, I just combine everything in the same bowl, which works perfectly fine) before a quick toss to combine. And that’s really all there is to it.
INGREDIENTS + SUBSTITIONS
BEANS- The base is all about the beans. After all, cowboy caviar all started because of a bean. You can stick with the traditional black eyed peas, or use kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, I’ve even seen garbanzo beans. Personally, my favorite beans to use are a mix of black beans and pinto or white kidney beans.
VEGETABLES- The supporting cast of this dish is all the vegetables, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, avocado. For tomatoes, I say save your best ones, your heirlooms, etc. for other dishes and instead use something more basic such as a roma. Since the dish has so many flavors that the tomatoes just soak up and get mixed in with, there’s no sense in wasting the good ones on this dish. For the peppers, I’m personally not a green bell pepper fan, so I skip those in favor of red, yellow or orange ones, but I also find it nice to use a mix of peppers, as well, to add even more color to this colorful dish. When it comes to the avocado, you can either mix it all in at once or, what I like to do to ensure it stays fresher longer, is mix it in on a per serving basis. Traditionally, the recipe also has red onion, and while I would love to include it, I unfortunately can’t tolerate raw onion, but if you can, please don’t sleep on the onion add-in.
SPICES- Outside of the expected salt, I like to use garlic powder, cumin and chili powder. You can definitely omit some or all of these, you can use less or more of each, depending on flavor preferences, you can opt to use fresh garlic instead of powdered, you can add in some onion powder, as well, or try add in some smoked paprika, too.
HERBS- We’re all about the cilantro for this one! A nice big bunch is exactly what you need aka if you’re one of those people that doesn’t like cilantro because you think it tastes like soap, this recipe probably isn’t for you. And don’t worry, there’s also some green onion thrown in the mix, too.
DRESSING- The dressing is a simple citrus, vinegar and oil situation. For the citrus, I recommend sticking with lime juice but for oil either avocado or olive works (my personal preference is avocado oil) and for the vinegar either red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are both great options (although my go-to is red wine).
ADD-INS/SUBSTITUTIONS- Try adding in some cotija or feta cheese crumbles (or vegan feta to keep this dish plant-based). Try using tomatillas or green tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes. Use pickled onions instead of raw onions. Mix in pickled or candied jalapeños instead of, or along with, the regular fresh jalapeños. Use a smoked corn or fresh corn instead of canned or frozen. Mix in sliced black olives. Add in some fruit, such as mango, pineapple or peaches, for a little sweetness.
HOW TO ENJOY COWBOY CAVIAR
Not only is this dish super healthy, it’s also super versatile. There’s truly a never-ending amount of ways to enjoy it. Scoop it with some chips (I love blue corn chips) or crackers or pita chips to enjoy as a snack, add it on top of salads (I use it in place of a dressing), spoon it over meat, seafood, tofu, burgers, or, one of my faves, grilled portobello caps, add it to bowls (so good with rice or quinoa or even rice cauliflower), top sweet potato fries with it, eat it with tacos, add it on top of eggs, serve it with a breakfast burrito, scoop it into half an avocado, enjoy it with a little plain Greek yogurt, mix it into some hummus for a yummy high-protein snack, bring it to a picnic or party, mix into a pasta salad, eat it by the spoonful straight from the bowl….truly the options are deliciously endless!
HOW TO STORE + HOW LONG WILL IT LAST
Keep your caviar in an airtight container in the refrigerator and you’ll have fresh caviar for 4-5 days, or until it runs out, which, if we’re being honest will probably be a whole lot sooner than that.
INGREDIENTS
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can pinto or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce bag frozen corn, thawed slightly
2-3 large roma tomatoes, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 avocados (pits + peels removed), diced
1 large jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
4-6 green onions, chopped
1 large bunch of cilantro, minced
Juice of 2-3 large limes
1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Add all the vegetables to a large bowl or dish (or you can even use a big pot if you don’t have a big enough bowl). Then drizzle on the lime juice, oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with the seasonings. Toss until well combined.
Cowboy caviar can be enjoyed immediately, although it gets better in flavor the longer it marinates, so if you can make it a few hours ahead of eating it, you’ll love it even more. Just give it a good stir before eating it. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
NOTES
THINGS THAT CAN BE OMITTED- Avocado, jalapeño, green onions, cumin, chili powder
SUBSTITUTIONS- Use green tomatoes, tomatillos, or a mix of both green and red tomatoes. Use a can of corn or 2 ears of fresh corn instead of the frozen corn. Use fire roasted corn instead of plain corn. Use pickled or candied jalapeño instead of fresh.
ADDITIONAL ADD-INS- Cotija or feta cheese crumbles (or vegan feta to keep this dish plant-based), sliced black olives, diced red onion or pickled red onion and fruit, such as mango, pineapple or peaches, for a little sweetness.