Description
This Texas Caviar recipe is a vibrant, fresh, and flavorful bean salad featuring black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, and a zesty lime-cumin dressing. Perfect as a dip with tortilla chips or as a light, healthy salad, it combines crisp vegetables and creamy avocado with a hint of heat from jalapeno and optional hot sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s an easy, delicious dish for gatherings or a quick snack.
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika (sweet or smoked)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Salad
- 1 can black beans (15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 can black eyed peas (15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup corn kernels (frozen and thawed, canned and drained, or fresh)
- 3 scallions (both white and green parts, chopped)
- ⅓ cup red onion (chopped finely or diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped, approx. ½ cup)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes (sliced thinly)
- ½ avocado (ripe, cut into small cubes)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (rinsed and chopped)
- Your favorite hot sauce (optional)
- Tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest, freshly squeezed lime juice, ground cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, honey, and minced garlic until well combined. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the drained and rinsed black beans and black eyed peas, corn kernels, chopped scallions, finely chopped red onion, chopped red bell pepper, seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced ripe avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.
- Toss with dressing: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the combined salad ingredients. Gently toss everything together to evenly coat the vegetables and beans with the dressing, taking care not to mash the avocado.
- Adjust seasoning and serve: Taste the salad and add additional salt or lime juice if needed. If desired, mix in a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce for extra heat. Serve the Texas Caviar chilled or at room temperature alongside tortilla chips for dipping.
Notes
- You can prepare Texas Caviar a few hours in advance to allow the flavors to meld even more.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best bright flavor.
- Feel free to adjust the heat by adding more or less jalapeno and hot sauce according to your preference.
- This dish is vegetarian and gluten-free.
- Great as a party dip, side salad, or a light meal topping.
