Cowboy Caviar

Have you heard of cowboy caviar? It’s a colorful blend of seasonal favorites that has an amazing taste. Whatever you do this summer, you simply MUST make this salsa!!!

Why I love cowboy caviar!

HOW in the world it got the name ‘Cowboy Caviar’ is beyond me.  It’s kind of a mix between a salsa, a side dish, and a dip.

But whatever you want to call it, it has quickly become one of the most VERSATILE salsas I’ve ever made. It is devoured within minutes whenever I make it so now I’ve had to double the recipe just so there is some leftover for me when everyone goes back to school and work.

This salsa has absolutely everything in it from black beans to corn to diced tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and yummy avocado.

For texture lovers, this salsa is a dream come true. There is the creaminess of the avocado, the crunch of the peppers, the soft beans. And the lime dressing is to DIE FOR!

You really won’t stop eating this. It is a little HIGHLY addictive! It goes FABULOUS with tortilla chips and is great for potlucks or to bring to a family BBQ.

How to Make Your Own Batch

Ingredients:

Now that you know how much I love this salsa, it’s time to make your own. This recipe calls for all fresh ingredients, with the exception of a can of black beans. In addition to a can of beans, all you are need are:

• a couple ears of Corn
• Bell Peppers
• Cloves of Garlic
• Shallot
• Red Onion
• Avocado
• Grape Tomatoes

If you really want to pack in the flavor, I highly recommend grilling your corn with a little butter, salt, and pepper. That in combination with the smoky grilled addition will really pull through the taste.

As for the bell peppers, I like them colorful. So I opted in for using red, yellow, and green. The tomatoes help add some color as well, but it doesn’t hurt to get happy with the bell peppers. Mince and dice your garlic, shallot, and red onion. And cut your grape tomatoes into quarters so they blend well in the salsa.

Prepare the vinegarette:

The vinegarette is like the icing on a cake. The flavors of the ingredients listed below will tell you enough:

• Olive Oil
• White Vinegar
• Lime Zest
• Lime Juice
• Sugar
• Cilantro (or parsley)
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cumin

Is your mouth watering yet?

Instructions

Here comes the easy part! Combine the corn, peppers, garlic, shallots, red onion, and avocado in a bowl. Drain and thoroughly rinse the beans and toss them into the bowl. Prepare the vinaigrette in a small measuring cup or bowl and pour over the beans and corn mixture. Give it a good toss and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Easy peasy, right?

A few things to keep in mind… the longer the salsa sits, the more the flavors will marinade together. In other words, it gets better with time. Your cowboy caviar can also be stored for up to 4 days when using an airtight container. Oh, and be ready to share the recipe if you’re serving this up at your next gathering!

I like to serve it as a summer side dish alongside some burgers. But, we especially enjoyed it with our very popular Grilled Chicken. 

But then I thought …why not put it on top of tacos??? So, I decided to blacken some fish one night and I layered the fish and this salsa in a soft taco and I could NOT believe the burst of flavor!!! You should definitely try it and also let me know other ways you used this salsa.

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