Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing

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A few years back I tasted the most colorful and flavorful dish at a potluck and my life was never the same. This crowd-pleaser was cowboy caviar, or Texas caviar, as it’s also called. Layered with flavor, fool-proof, and totally delicious, this vegan, gluten-free, oil-free recipe has been my potluck or picnic go-to ever since.

Cowboy caviar is typically made with a mixture of black beans, black-eyed peas, loads of fresh veggies like corn, red pepper, tomato, and avocado, and flavored up with some onion, cilantro, and jalapeño then tossed with a vinaigrette style dressing. 

For my vegan Cowboy Caviar recipe, I created a zesty lime dressing which I prefer to traditional oily Italian dressing. The lime adds a bright zing and pairs so well with creamy avocado. To make it a hearty salad, I also added quinoa which soaks up all that flavorful dressing and helps the caviar hold together. Served with crunchy tortilla chips, it’s a taste and texture dream come true.

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Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. This recipe comes together fairly quickly if you have cooked beans/peas and quinoa on hand. It’s also easy to make ahead of time and holds well, making it an ever-popular potluck favorite. 

Why I love Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing so much:

Unexpectedly flavorful

Easy to make ahead of time

Picnic and Potluck friendly

Holds well refrigerated for 3-4 days (great for leftovers!)

Pleases all eaters and is allergy-friendly

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Ingredients for Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 teaspoons of lime zest

• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1 teaspoon of chili powder (mild or spicy)

• 2 teaspoons of salt

• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

 Makes approx. ½ cup of dressing

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Ingredients for the caviar:

• 1½ cups (one 15 oz. can 425 grams) of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup of black-eyed peas (170 grams) drained and rinsed

• 1½ cups (278 grams) white quinoa, cooked

• 1 cup of sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup of red pepper, diced (1 medium red pepper)

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced with seeds removed

• 1 large avocado, cubed

• ¼ cup of red onion, finely diced

• ¾ cup of cilantro, chopped

• small jalapeño, finely diced with seeds and membranes removed

Makes approx. 8 cups of cowboy caviar

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Method for making Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing

Method:

1.   If using canned beans and peas, drain and thoroughly rinse them to avoid a beany taste. Dice the pepper, tomato and avocado into ½” sized pieces, removing the seeds from the tomatoes. Fine dice the onion and the jalapeño.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, place the beans, peas, quinoa, vegetables and cilantro. Gently stir until well mixed.

3.  Whisk the lime juice and zest, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic and spices in a small bowl until well incorporated. Pour the dressing over the cowboy caviar and gently mix until evenly coated.

Serve with on a bed of lettuce as a flavorful and filling salad with tortilla chips on the side!

Other tasty crowd-pleasers to try:

Sweet Lime Slaw

Carrot Top Pesto

Tofu Quiche with Fresh Garden Herbs

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Yield: 8 servings

Author: Carol Clayton

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Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing

For my vegan cowboy caviar recipe, I created a zesty lime dressing. The lime adds a bright zing and pairs so well with creamy avocado. To make it a hearty salad, I also added quinoa which soaks up all that flavorful dressing and helps the caviar hold together. Served with crunchy tortilla chips, it’s a taste and texture dream come true.

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

For the caviar

• 1½ cups (one 15 oz. can 425 grams) of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of black-eyed peas (170 grams) drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups (278 grams) white quinoa, cooked
• 1 cup of sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup of red pepper, diced (1 medium red pepper)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced with seeds removed
• 1 large avocado, cubed
• ¼ cup of red onion, finely diced
• ¾ cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, finely diced with seeds and membranes removed

For the dressing

• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of lime zest
• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder (mild or spicy)
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions

1. If using canned beans and peas, drain and thoroughly rinse them to avoid a beany taste. Dice the pepper, tomato and avocado into ½” sized pieces, removing the seeds from the tomatoes. Fine dice the onion and the jalapeño.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the beans, peas, quinoa, vegetables and cilantro. Gently stir until well mixed.
3. Whisk the lime juice and zest, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic and spices in a small bowl until well incorporated. Pour the dressing over the cowboy caviar and gently mix until evenly coated.

Notes

Serve with on a bed of lettuce as a flavorful and filling salad with tortilla chips on the side.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

202.49

Fat (grams)

5.13

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.75

Carbs (grams)

33.98

Fiber (grams)

8.13

Net carbs

25.85

Sugar (grams)

8.28

Protein (grams)

7.76

Sodium (milligrams)

547.60

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.

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Cowboy Caviar with Quinoa and Zesty Lime Dressing