Cowboy Caviar Salad

Name: Cowboy Caviar Salad
Ingredients: 1 can canned beans (250 g, or use cooked); 1/2 can corn (150 g); 300 g tomatoes; 300 g bell pepper (I used half of three different colors); 50 g salad onion or red onion; 1 avocado; 6 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tbsp wine or apple cider vinegar 6%; 1 tsp sugar; salt, pepper

This salad was created in Texas, USA, under the influence of Mexican culinary traditions. Originally it included so-called black-eyed peas, onion, bell pepper, and an oil-and-vinegar dressing. Today there are many variations of this salad. Cowboy Caviar is served both as a side salad with meat or fish, and as an appetizer with chips, toast, flatbreads, and the like. If you enjoy spice, feel free to add a chili pepper — I'm not a fan of heat, so I left it out. Fresh herbs are also a great addition here, cilantro or parsley. According to legend, the salad gets its name from the fine dice of the ingredients, which resembles caviar.

Ingredients:

1 can canned beans (250 g, or use cooked)
1/2 can corn (150 g)
300 g tomatoes
300 g bell pepper (I used half of three different colors)
50 g salad onion or red onion
1 avocado
Dressing:
6 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp wine or apple cider vinegar 6%
1 tsp sugar
salt, pepper

How to cook cowboy caviar salad

Dice the bell pepper into small cubes. I used three colors to make the salad more vibrant and colorful, but of course you can use just one color — it won't affect the taste.

Dice the tomatoes into small cubes as well. If you like, remove the seeds and juice from the tomatoes beforehand — I did, as it helps the salad keep longer and look neater, though it's not required, and it's actually even more flavorful with the juice.

Finely dice the onion as well. If your onion isn't a mild salad onion, it's a good idea to pour boiling water over it to take the edge off.

Prepare the avocado. Score it with a knife down to the pit to cut it in half lengthwise, twist the two halves 90 degrees to separate them. Peel off the skin and dice into small cubes.

Put all the dressing ingredients into a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake vigorously.

Place all the salad ingredients into a bowl (drain the canned beans and corn in a colander first).

Add the dressing and toss to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Let the salad sit for 20–30 minutes to marinate, or serve right away.

This salad pairs wonderfully with any meat — a juicy steak, chicken drumsticks, or even a burger patty — but it also works great as an appetizer and is a perfect fit for a picnic. Cowboy Caviar Salad turns out not only incredibly delicious and juicy, but absolutely beautiful too!