Cowboy Caviar Salad (Printable)

Bright salad with black beans, corn, peppers, and zesty lime dressing, perfect as a side or light meal.

# What you need:

→ Beans and Vegetables

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
02 - 1 can (15 oz) sweet corn, drained or 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
06 - 1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
07 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
08 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Lime Vinaigrette

09 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
11 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup (optional)
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How to make it:

01 - In a large bowl, mix black beans, corn, diced bell peppers, red onion, tomato (if using), jalapeño (if using), and cilantro.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, honey or agave syrup (if using), cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until fully blended.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure an even coating.
04 - Allow the salad to rest for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can meld together.
05 - Serve chilled or at room temperature as a salad, dip with tortilla chips, or as a taco topping.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes with pantry staples, no cooking required.
  • The lime vinaigrette tastes so good you'll find yourself making extra to drizzle on everything else.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without feeling like a restriction.
  • Flavors actually improve after sitting in the fridge, which means meal prep that gets better, not stale.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans and corn—that cloudy starch is what makes it taste canned and muddy instead of fresh.
  • The salad tastes better the next day, so make it the morning of a party or the day before if you're serving it at dinner; the flavors deepen and meld in a way that's hard to replicate fresh.
  • If you're eating this as a dip with tortilla chips, let it come to room temperature first; cold salad and room-temperature chips don't play well together.
03 -
  • Toast your cumin and chili powder in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding them to the vinaigrette; this wakes up the spices and makes the entire dish taste more intentional.
  • If you're serving this as a dip for a crowd, keep the chips on the side and don't mix them in—nobody likes soggy chips, and separating them keeps both at their best.
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