I love Black Bean Salads (or any bean salad for that matter)
I was first introduced to Texas Caviar black bean salad by my boyfriend, Matt. Matt had it at a party years ago and liked it so much he asked for the recipe. Since then (before I met him) it became his signature dish that he makes for parties etc… (he doesn’t cook much). I altered his recipe ever so slightly to make it a little lower in fat and sugar, it is still every bit as delicious.
Why is it called Texas Caviar?
What is Texas Caviar you ask; and how did it get it’s name? I wondered the same thing so I went to the first place we all go…. Here’s the story from Wikipedia:
Texas caviar is a salad of black-eyed peas lightly pickled in a vinaigrette-style dressing, often eaten as a dip accompaniment to tortilla chips.[1][2] Texas caviar was created in the U.S. state of Texas around 1940 by Helen Corbitt, a native New Yorker who later became director of food service for the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas.[3][4] She first served the dish on New Year’s Eve at the Houston Country Club. When she later served it at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, it was given its name, “Texas caviar,” as a humorous comparison to true caviar, an expensive hors d’oeuvre of salt-cured fish roe.[5] It has also been called cowboy caviar.[6][7][8][9]
So much more than a dip
Texas Caviar is often eaten as a dip or appetizer but it’s also great as a side or as the main portion of a meal with some added protein. This bean salad goes great with any type of grilled protein and is a perfect cold summer dish for potlucks or picnics. One great way to use this as part of a meal is to make taco bowls. I make mine with Tex-Mex Quinoa, baked or grilled chicken, a squeeze of lime, fresh cilantro, and some extra sliced avocado because….avocado!
This recipe is great for meal prep. It is delicious, nutritionally dense, easy to make a large batch and it holds well for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Get creative!
As with all mixed veggie salads, I encourage you to get creative and mix things up. When it is in season, use fresh sweet corn either raw or charred on the grill. Add other vegetables, swap out the type of beans and add any kind(s) fresh herbs. Have fun, play with your food!
TEXAS CAVIAR
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 1 11 oz can white shoepeg corn drained
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 small sweet onion or red onion diced
- 1 avocado diced
- 2 scallions (optional) chopped
- 1/4 cup avocado olive oil or oil of choice
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional) chop after measuring
Instructions
- Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl
- Whisk together the oil, vinegar and honey until well blended
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if desired.
- Serve in mini filo cups or with whole wheat pita chips, tortilla chips or baked sweet potato chips.
Simple and easy and I add quinoa sometimes to leftovers to change it up