Cowboy Caviar Bean Salad (Printable)

Colorful bean and corn salad with fresh vegetables, cilantro, and zesty lime dressing. Great for dips or sides.

# What You Need:

→ Beans & Legumes

01 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
04 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh or thawed
05 - 1/2 red onion, finely diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
09 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
12 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, ground cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper until thoroughly blended.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Gently toss all ingredients to ensure even coating with the dressing.
04 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
05 - Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature. Present with tortilla chips as a dip, alongside grilled proteins, or as an accompaniment to main courses.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • It tastes better the longer it sits, so you can make it the night before and actually enjoy your own party.
  • Every bite has texture and color and enough zing to wake up anything you serve it with.
  • You can eat it straight from the bowl with chips, pile it on tacos, or serve it next to grilled anything without a single person complaining.
02 -
  • Drain and rinse your canned beans thoroughly or the liquid will make your dressing taste metallic and the whole bowl will look murky instead of bright.
  • If you add avocado, do it right before serving or it will turn brown and mushy in the fridge, which ruins the whole vibe.
  • Taste it before you serve and add more lime or salt if needed, because beans absorb seasoning over time and what tasted perfect yesterday might need a boost today.
03 -
  • Use a jar with a tight lid to make the dressing so you can shake it instead of whisking, then store any leftover dressing in the same jar for next time.
  • If your crowd is divided on cilantro, leave it out of the main bowl and set out a small dish of chopped cilantro so people can add it themselves.
  • Double the recipe if you're feeding more than six people because it disappears faster than you think, and there's nothing sadder than running out of the one dish everyone actually wanted.
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