TL/DR – Cowboy Caviar. A low-sugar version of a nutritious and versatile fresh bean salad… or salsa… or dip. It does whatever you want it to! –
There’s this fresh bean salsa called Cowboy Caviar and it’s really good, but the recipe often calls for a surprising amount of sugar. My family prefers a far less-sweet version with extra lime and cider vinegar.
The non-negotiable ingredients in Cowboy Caviar are numerous. It needs fresh tomatoes, beans, peppers, corn, onion, cilantro and spices like chili powder, cumin and coriander. To achieve a tangy, zippy, slightly piquant result, I cut the sugar from 1/4 cup (what?!) down to 1 teaspoon. Then I add the juice and zest of two limes, 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar to the dressing.
I’m sure I run the risk of offending America’s home cooks when I say it doesn’t need that much dang sugar, but I’m sticking with what I know. Cowboy Caviar is great as an appetizer dip, a taco topping, a burrito filling, a quesadilla filling, or a side salad. It holds up well at a picnic and keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
For another Mexican inspired side dish, try Jicama Pineapple Salad.
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
- 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
- juice and zest of two limes
- 3 T cider vinegar
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t pepper
- 1 t granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 t chili powder
- 1 t cumin
- 1 t coriander
Directions
- Step 1 Place the first 7 ingredients, (black beans through Roma tomatoes,) into a large bowl.
- Step 2 Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the bean mixture. Toss well.
- Step 3 Allow to sit, refrigerated, for an hour or so if possible before enjoying.
