Whimsy Bower: Cowboy Caviar (Recipe)

26 October 2026

Cowboy Caviar (Recipe)

These days I'm still sticking to easy recipes, and it turns out Cowboy Caviar (not a fan of that name) is one of the easiest options. It's healthy too! And, most importantly, it's tasty. The recipe I'm sharing is an amalgam of recipes I've tried, along with my own tweaks. Enjoy!

Cowboy Caviar

540 mL (19 oz) can white beans (e.g., cannelini) or black eyes peas, rinsed and drained

540 mL (19 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed), or 341 mL (12 oz) can, drained

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped (a yellow or orange pepper is also fine)

1/2 cup (or to taste), chopped fresh cilantro (if you don't like cilantro, you can substitute fresh flat-leaf parsley)

1 to 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1 ripe avocado, chopped at the last minute

1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs lime juice (you can also use lemon juice or vinegar, whatever is flavourful and acidic)

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed chilies, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together beans, corn, tomato, bell pepper, cilantro (or parsley) and jalapeno.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice (or vinegar), garlic, onion, salt, oregano, basil, crushed chilies, and black pepper. Mix well.

Chop avocado and add to the large bowl. Mix gently to combine ingredients. Pour dressing over everything and mix gently again to combine well.

Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips as a dip/salsa. You can also serve it on its own or on lettuce as a salad, or use it as a tortilla filling. If desired, you can add cheese, nuts or seeds, cucumber or other veggies, or different kinds of beans or chickpeas. This is a great recipe for experimentation.

Serves 2-4 as a main, or 6 to 8 as a snack/appetizer