The Ultimate Cowboy Caviar {Best Dressing!}

This Cowboy Caviar is a great vegetarian lunch that packs a big protein punch. It's got veggies, beans, and the best tangy dressing!

Ingredients and substitutions

Dressing

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or canola oil.
• Lime juice – if you don’t have any freshly squeezed lime juice, bottled lime juice will also work.
• Red wine vinegar – white wine vinegar would be the best substitute here.
• Dijon mustard – you can try using stone-ground mustard, although the flavour will be slightly different.
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best. Jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
• Chili powder – use a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne instead.
• Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.
• Fresh cilantro – leave this out altogether if you’re not a fan of cilantro.

Salad

• Black beans – black beans are the traditional choice, but pinto beans or kidney beans could also be used.
• Black-eyed peas – swap out for another kind of beans like Southern Pink Lady beans, pinto beans or lima beans.
• Hothouse tomato – use any other kind of tomato you might have on hand.
• Frozen corn – canned corn would also work here.
• Jalapeno – poblano peppers would also be good or you can double up on the bell peppers if you’re not a fan of spice.
• Green onions – try using chives or leave these out altogether.
• Bell pepper – use any colour bell pepper of your choosing.
• Red onion – white onion or yellow onion would also work but will have a milder flavour.
• Avocado – you could also try using some guacamole instead.
• Tortilla chips – your favourite store-bought brand or homemade would both be good!

How to make cowboy caviar

1. Prep your ingredients.
2. Make the dressing.
3. Toss with the salad ingredients.
4. Let it sit for at least 2 hours then serve!

Why is it called cowboy caviar?

Cowboy caviar, also known as Texas caviar, was created in the 1940s by a New Yorker called Helen Corbitt, when she served it at a New Year’s Eve party at a fancy country club in Houston. It was given the name cowboy caviar as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the famous expensive appetizer of fish eggs.

While the black-eyed peas might slightly resemble caviar, there actually isn’t any caviar (or seafood) in this recipe – so it won’t set you back a fortune to whip up a batch! 😉

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and reheating

Cowboy caviar will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge – in fact, it’ll likely get better with time as it continues to soak in all the flavours! Store it in airtight glass containers then serve it with fresh tortilla chips. Since it’s meant to be served cold or at room temperature, you don’t need to worry about reheating it.

Can you freeze cowboy caviar?

I wouldn’t recommend it. A lot of components of this recipe, like the tomato, bell pepper and avocado, wouldn’t hold up well after freezing. It only takes about 30 minutes of prep time, so I’d recommend just making a fresh batch when you’re in the mood for some cowboy caviar.

More vegetarian lunch recipes

• Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad
• Sweet Potato Poutine with Vegetarian Gravy
• Sheet Pan Buddha Bowls with Turmeric Tahini Dressing

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this cowboy caviar into leftovers.
• I like this salad dressing shaker to make homemade dressings and marinades easier.