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Close up overhead view of cowboy caviar in a bowl with chips on the side.
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4.52 from 101 votes

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar is a deliciously fresh bean salad with a colorful mix of beans and vegetables, plus a zesty lime dressing.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Dip, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: Southwest
Total Cost: $5.54 recipe / $0.55 serving
Servings: 10 (1/2 cup each)
Calories: 140kcal
Author: Beth Moncel

Equipment

  • Chef's Knife
  • White Cutting Boards
  • Measuring Cups Spoons

Ingredients

DRESSING*

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
  • 1 fresh lime (2 Tbsp juice) $0.25
  • 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar $0.10
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder** $0.05
  • 1 tsp ground cumin $0.10
  • 1/2 tsp salt $0.02
  • 1/2 tsp sugar $0.02

Salad

  • 1 15oz. can black beans $0.94
  • 1 15oz. can black eyed peas*** $1.24
  • 1 bell pepper (any color) $1.48
  • 2 Roma tomatoes $0.48
  • 1 jalapeño $0.33
  • 1/4 red onion $0.11
  • 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro $0.20

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 Tbsp of juice from the lime, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and sugar.
  • Rinse and drain both cans of beans in a colander. Once well drained, transfer them to a large bowl.
  • Finely dice the bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeño, and red onion. Try to dice the vegetables into pieces that are roughly the same size as the beans. For a less spicy salad, scrape the seeds out of the jalapeño before dicing. Roughly chop the cilantro.
  • Add the chopped vegetables to the bowl with the beans.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad, then stir until everything is well coated. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Video

Notes

*If you're in a rush, bottled Italian dressing makes an easy and fun substitution for the homemade vinaigrette. 
**"Chili powder" is a mix of spices used to season chili, not pure red pepper.
***Because black-eyed peas are technically a "pea" (vegetable), they're sometimes found with the canned vegetables rather than the beans. You can also often find them in the freezer aisle, although you'll want to boil those black-eyed peas first, according to the cooking instructions on the package. And if you can't find black-eyed peas, you can substitute pinto beans or navy beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5Cup | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 122mg | Fiber: 7g