Cowboy Caviar Bean Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant bean and vegetable salad with tangy lime dressing—perfect for dips, sides, or taco toppings.

# 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

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, red onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, and cilantro.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well blended.
03 - Pour the dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Gently toss to combine, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
04 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld together.
05 - Serve chilled or at room temperature with tortilla chips or as a side salad.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It gets better as it sits, soaking up all that tangy dressing overnight in the fridge.
  • You can serve it a dozen ways: with chips, over greens, stuffed in a wrap, or straight from the bowl.
  • Every bite delivers crunch, color, and a hit of brightness that wakes up your whole meal.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting time, the dressing sits on top instead of soaking in, and the whole thing tastes flat.
  • Dice everything roughly the same size so each bite has balance, no huge chunks of pepper drowning out the beans.
  • Taste before serving and add more lime or salt, flavors dull when cold and sometimes need a wake-up call.
03 -
  • Toast the cumin in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding it to the dressing, it wakes up the flavor in a way that ground spice alone never does.
  • If you want more heat, roast the jalapeño first, it adds smokiness and a deeper kick that raw peppers can't match.
  • Always make extra dressing and keep it in a jar, you can drizzle it over the leftovers to refresh them or use it on other salads throughout the week.
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