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Cowboy Caviar Recipe

4.6 from 51 reviews

Cowboy Caviar is a vibrant, fresh, and hearty salad featuring a colorful medley of tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocados, bell peppers, jalapeño, and onions, all tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet red wine vinaigrette. This no-cook dish is perfect as a dip, side, or light meal, offering a delightful balance of textures and flavors that capture the essence of Southwestern cuisine.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad Ingredients

  • 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 3½ cups)
  • 14.5 ounces yellow corn, drained
  • 15.25 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 avocados, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
  • ½ cup red onion, finely diced (about ½ medium-sized red onion)
  • ½ cup sweet yellow onion, finely diced (about ½ medium-sized onion)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons lime juice

Dressing Ingredients

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced Roma tomatoes, drained yellow corn, rinsed black beans, diced avocados, diced red and orange bell peppers, finely diced jalapeño, finely diced red and sweet yellow onions, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and lime juice. Gently stir the ingredients just until they are evenly mixed, being careful not to mash the avocados.
  2. Make the Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper until the mixture is well emulsified and smooth.
  3. Combine Dressing and Salad: Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over the salad in the large mixing bowl. Stir gently but thoroughly until all the salad ingredients are well coated with the dressing, ensuring an even flavor distribution.

Notes

  • For a spicier kick, leave some jalapeño seeds in or add more jalapeño as desired.
  • Serve immediately to enjoy the freshest flavors and avoid the avocados browning, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
  • This salad works well as a dip with tortilla chips or a side dish for grilled meats.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and lime juice, before serving.
  • For added zest, consider a splash of hot sauce or chopped green onions.

Keywords: Cowboy caviar, black bean salad, Southwestern salad, no-cook salad, avocado salad, bean dip, fresh salsa, healthy salad