This Quick & Easy Cowboy Caviar makes a great side dish or dip for any picnic, potluck, or party. My take on this southwestern side combines beans, veggies, and a Zesty Italian Dressing. This bright and fresh bean salad is naturally vegan and a must-make this summer.
I like to think of Quick Cowboy Caviar as somewhere between a salsa and a bean salad. I lived off of this stuff in college and still love to make it to this day.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick & easy: This cowboy caviar comes together in under 30 minutes and requires minimal prep.
- Meal prep friendly: Make a batch over the weekend for easy lunches throughout the week!
- Healthy & satisfying: Packed with beans, veggies, and fresh flavors, this Southwestern bean salad is full of protein, fiber, and nutrients.
- Great for crowds: Makes a big batch and is perfect as a side at potlucks, picnics, and parties!
Key Ingredients
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes: Slightly sweet with a smoky flavor, these tomatoes are perfect for this Southwestern Cowboy Caviar. Using canned tomatoes also make the recipe quick and easy!
- Red onion, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, and cilantro: Fresh veggies add bright nutritious flavor, and give our salad a vibrant crunch.
- Black beans and black eyed peas: These add texture and protein, making our Cowboy Caviar hearty and satisfying.
- Italian dressing: The dressing brings everything together! My Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing adds just the right amount of brightness and flavor!
How to Make Easy Cowboy Caviar
- Combine the veggies and beans in a large bowl.
- Pour in the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and season with extra garlic salt, if desired.
- Refrigerate to let flavors meld, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- You can enjoy this Quick Cowboy Caviar right away, however it is best after refrigerating for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Rinse & drain the beans well to prevent the salad from becoming watery.
Serving Suggestions
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make it over the weekend and then pack for easy lunches throughout the week!
- Serve on a bed of fresh greens for a light, refreshing salad.
- Pair with tortilla chips and eat it as a dip for parties, picnics, or game day.
- Add this quick bean salad to wraps, Buddha bowls, burritos, or any meal that could use a burst of flavor.
Substitutions & Variations
- This recipe is mild as written. For a spicier kick, add more jalapeños or your favorite hot peppers.
- For an extra pop of flavor, sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning on before serving.
- While fire-roasted diced tomatoes give a smoky flavor, you can use regular canned tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes if you wish.
- Using my homemade Zesty Italian Dressing ensures that this recipe is oil-free, but you can also use a store bought vegan Italian dressing if you prefer!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cowboy caviar supposed to be a caviar substitute?
No! Despite the name, cowboy caviar has nothing to do with fish or traditional caviar. This classic Southwestern bean salad is naturally vegan and is packed with veggies, beans, and fresh flavors.
How is this Quick Cowboy Caviar supposed to be served?
This is a versatile recipe that can be eaten on its own as a bean salad, served with chips as a dip, or added to larger meals such as wraps, bowls, and salads!
Is this Cowboy Caviar oil-free and Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB)?
Yes! This recipe is wfpb and oil-free if you use my homemade Zesty Italian Dressing.
Other Party-Friendly Salads You'll Love
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Cowboy Caviar
Bright, fresh, and full of flavor, this Quick & Easy Cowboy Caviar is a perfect vegan side or dip for picnics, potlucks, and summer parties. Packed with beans, colorful veggies, and tossed in a zesty Italian dressing, it’s an effortless southwestern salad you’ll want to make again and again.*Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate that includes time to make the Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing and the Cowboy Caviar. If you use a store-bought dressing, prep will be even quicker!
Ingredients
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes - drained (1 can of regular diced tomatoes or 1.5 cups of freshly diced tomatoes will also work)
- ½ small-medium red onion - diced
- 1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 can black eyed peas - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn - thawed (I like to thaw my frozen corn by simply placing it in a colander and running cold water over it in the sink - only takes a few minutes!)
- ½ bell pepper - diced (I like to use green, but any color bell pepper will work)
- 1 jalapeno - seeds removed and diced very finely
- ¼ cup cilantro - finely chopped
- ¼ - ½ cup Joyful Balance Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing - (OR a store bought vegan Italian dressing)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together your fire roasted tomatoes, red onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- Starting with ¼ cup, pour your Italian Dressing of choice into the large bowl. Give it a mix. If desired, add up to another ¼ cup. The amount of dressing you use here completely depends on personal preference and how saucy you want your Cowboy Caviar! I tend to use around ⅓ cup.
- Give your Cowboy Caviar a taste and add the optional garlic salt, if desired. This will largely depend on what Italian Dressing you used - if the dressing was already somewhat salty, you might want to skip this part. But if you want a little extra flavor boost, then add it in!
- You can absolutely eat this right away if you'd like, but I highly recommend refrigerating it for a couple hours before consuming. After a few hours in the fridge the flavors get even better! Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?Mention @joyfulbalanceofficial on Instagram and show the world your plant based creation!
Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your cowboy-caviar-making ways.
Stay Joyfully Balanced!
Chester says
Those cowpersons have the funniest looking fish eggs.
Looks tasty!
Delaney Marie says
Thank you! I actually did a google search about why this is called Cowboy Caviar when I was writing up this post, and found that it supposedly got that name as a joke because it is the "poor man's version" of actual caviar!
Sarah says
Made this recipe today and used green and red bell peppers (Call me Peter Piper I guess!). It turned out beautifully, my partner even enjoyed it as well- he actually wouldn’t even let it sit. He was eating it straight from the bowl!
Delaney Marie says
So glad you loved it! Never anything wrong with some extra peppers!!