Cowboy Caviar Salad 

“This isn’t a dip. It’s a declaration. And it brought the jalapeños.”

Cowboy Caviar Salad

Cowboy Caviar was originally created as a black-eyed pea salad.
Simple. Shareable. Soul-rooted.
You’re keeping the heart—but adding brightness, spice, and a little something wild. This is no longer picnic food. It’s pantry power meat Street corner citrus.

Ingredients

  • 1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1½ cups corn kernels (fresh, roasted, or thawed from frozen)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1–2 jalapeños or serranos, minced
  • 1 avocado, diced (optional, add right before serving)
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt + black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: splash of hot sauce or apple cider vinegar for extra punch

How The Alchemy Happens

  1. In a massive bowl, mix beans, corn, pepper, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro.
  2. In a small jar, shake together lime juice, oil, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
  3. Pour dressing over salad. Mix well. Let it sit 15–30 minutes to marinate. Fold in avocado last, if using.
  4. Serve chilled or room temp. With chips? Sure. But it’s bold enough to stand alone.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“Some salads tell stories. This one tells campfire myths in three languages and still has time to dance.”