I’m not sure where the name Cowboy Caviar comes from. I’m guessing it is because of the southwestern sensibility of this dish, but I couldn’t say for sure. I first came across this salad/salsa a few years ago, but I’m not sure where. I recreated it for our family based on the ingredients we like. If I remember correctly, the original recipe was really heavy on the peppers, and while I enjoy bell peppers, I don’t want them to be the main ingredient in my food. What I really love about this dish, though, is all the colours and the versatility.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves 12 x 1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn, drained
- 6 tomatoes, cut in a large dice
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 yellow or orange pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 zucchini, quartered lenthwise and sliced 1cm thick
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground garlic
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup Italian Dressing
Preparation
- Put all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
Tips
- Serve as a chunky salsa, or cut everything a little smaller and use it as a more traditional salsa, serve it with chopped lettuce as a salad, or mixed with rice as a hearty side dish.
- This is a great go-with for any protein: chicken, fish, meat. To up the protein content for a vegetarian or vegan dish, add a can of rinsed, drained red kidney beans.
X-Rated Food 