Texas Caviar (Cowboy Caviar)

The Sweet and Savory Life

Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar is a quintessential summer salad with fresh garden vegetables, black-eyed peas, black beans, and a tangy honey-lime dressing. It is full of nutrients and is a delicious way to eat more vegetables!

This is the summer salad that I make and keep in the refrigerator because it is one of my favorite go-to lunches! I rotate it with Black Bean and Corn Salad and Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Although all three dishes have similar ingredients, this one has a subtle honey-lime dressing with a little peppery heat. The salad dressing is not too heavy and gives the vegetables a mild lime taste. 

How Did Cowboy Caviar Get Its Name?

Texas Caviar, aka Houston Caviar, supposedly got its name because the black eye of the black-eyed peas resembled real caviar. It was a humorous comparison that later earned the dish another name, “Cowboy Caviar,” to poke a little fun at the common ingredients that varied greatly from real caviar. Originally served around 1940 on New Year’s Eve at the Houston Country Club, it is now known–and loved–nationwide!

Cowboy Caviar

INGREDIENTS

Vegetables

• (1) 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• (1) 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 2 large banana peppers, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups tomatoes, chopped (cored and de-seeded)
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large jalapeno, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup avocado, chopped (optional) (dip in lemon juice to prevent browning)

Dressing

• 1 lime zested
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (large or small pinch depending on how much heat you want)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Vegetables

1. Drain and rinse the black beans and peas. Let the water drip off them.
2. Heat the corn in a skillet. Stir to cook for 3-4 minutes. Add (if needed) a little cooking oil to prevent the corn from sticking to the pan. Set it aside to cool.
3. Chop all the vegetables and add them to a medium bowl. Add the black beans, peas, and corn. Stir to mix well.

Dressing

1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until emulsified. You can also blend using a blender.
2. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well.

Serve this dish as an appetizer with chips, as a salad, or as a side dish. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Sweet and Savory Notes

Customize to Taste

The beauty of this salad is that you can add other chopped vegetables or fruits without changing the base flavor. For example, you might add chopped peaches or mangoes to give it a sweet taste or hot peppers to give it a spicy kick.

Cilantro-Free Version

This salad is delicious with cilantro. However, if you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute another fresh herb, such as chopped basil or oregano, or leave off the herbs altogether.