Cowboy Caviar Recipe

There are many ways you could classify this cowboy caviar. On one hand, it serves wonderfully as a dip. Much like with a chunky salsa, your tortilla chips are just begging to scoop up some of this cowboy caviar. On the other hand, it works well as a standalone salad — with black beans, onion, peppers, and avocado, cowboy caviar works wonderfully alongside burgers or hot dogs. Of course, you could also use it as a topping or garnish, thus solidifying cowboy caviar as one of the most versatile dips, salads, salsas — whatever you want to call it — out there 

"I love this dip as it's so fresh," recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge says, adding that "this recipe screams summer BBQ vibes." With fresh and colorful ingredients, it's easy to see why this dip reminds Olayinka of summer. Fortunately, even in the coldest of winters, you can still throw this dip together and savor the tangy, savory, and subtly sweet flavors. If you have 10 minutes to spare and want to make a perfectly fresh dip, give this cowboy caviar recipe a try.

This dip comes together in a breeze and requires no cook time — the only thing you'll want to do beforehand is make sure you have the right ingredients ready to go. For this recipe, you'll need black beans, black-eyed peas, canned corn, ½ a red onion, ½ of a red and an orange bell pepper, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt, and lemon juice. Olayinka notes that you could sub in chickpeas or navy beans instead of black beans, and you could use spring or white onion instead of red. 

Once you have all your ingredients sorted, you can dive right into this recipe. First, make sure that the black beans, black eyed peas, and corn are drained, then pour them into a large bowl. Now, grab a cutting board and get ready to do some chopping. Start with the red onion, red bell pepper, and orange bell pepper halves. Cut each of those into ½-inch chunks, and keep in mind that they don't have to be perfectly uniform. Once you've finished chopping those up, add them into the bowl with the beans and corn. Finally, peel the avocado and cut that up into ½-inch cubes as well. Set those chunks aside for a bit.

With all of the vegetables chopped up, you can turn your attention to the sauce. Cowboy caviar often has some sort of tangy, vinaigrette-style dressing, and this recipe is no exception. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, honey, salt, and lemon juice, forming a tangy and subtly sweet dressing. Pour this dressing over the dip, then toss everything together. Finally, add in the avocado and gently mix that in as well. We save the avocado for last since the fruit is a bit fragile — we want the chunks to stay as intact as possible! 

Now that everything is mixed together, there's only one thing left to do with your cowboy caviar: enjoy! Olayinka notes that this dip pairs best with tortilla chips, though she notes that "any type of chips, fries, [or] sweet potato" could suffice. She also notes that this dip tastes very "fresh" and "hearty from the beans," and what more could you ask for from a dip? If you've been looking for a way to use up some vegetables, this recipe is the perfect solution. Serve it as an appetizer, snack, or as a side dish with dinner — the possibilities are endless with cowboy caviar!