By Margaux Laskey
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- 4(2,775)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Depending on where you’re from, this simple dip is known as cowboy caviar or Texas caviar, and it’s a favorite at tailgates and potlucks all over the South. Its creator, Helen Corbitt, a dietitian from New York, had never heard of black-eyed peas when she moved to Texas in 1931. The exact details are fuzzy, but at some point in her 40 years working in restaurants there, she combined black-eyed peas with a simple vinaigrette, and it was a big hit. The recipe has evolved over the years, and you can find a number of variations online. Some contain corn and black beans (as this one does), and others avocado. Some call for bottled Italian salad dressing, others homemade. No matter how you tweak it, it’s always good with a pile of tortilla chips.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 cups
- ⅓cup olive oil
- ¼cup red wine vinegar
- 3 to 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3plum tomatoes, cored, seeded if desired, and diced
- ½red onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1(15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
- 1(15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed
- 1½cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 to 4 cobs) or thawed, drained frozen sweet corn (about 8 ounces)
- 1red, green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
- ½cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish, if desired
- 1scallion, white and green parts, chopped, for garnish (optional)
- Tortilla chips, for serving
For the Dressing
For the Salad
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
254 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 525 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to combine.
Step
2
Add the tomatoes, red onion, black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Step
3
To serve, toss well and season to taste. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with tortilla chips.
Ratings
4
out of 5
2,775
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Chip
I swap lime juice for the red wine vinegar- works better with the black beans and complements avos, if you add them
Kate
I’ve been making a version of this for years, but I like to roast the corn kernels (frozen is fine) on a sheet pan with a little oil. I let it get pretty toasty but it softens up in the dressing. Nice garnished with diced avocado.
Jd
Y'all need to know more about Helen Corbitt (and black-eyed peas). Miss Corbitt was a cooking legend in Texas and the Southwest for more than 40 years. As director of food services at Neiman-Marcus for nearly 15 of those years, she was the diva of the famous Zodiac Room. Several of her renowned recipes remain on Neiman's menus today. She was also an acclaimed cookbook author.(Texans MUST eat black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's. Bc who knows what might happen if we don't
Rabster
Add jicama in corn kernel size bits for crunch
Linda Miller
Sugar in any recipe that includes any canned product, especially canned tomatoes or beans, takes the "tin can" taste away from the finished product. A teaspoon of sugar is enough to accomplish this without making the dish sweet.
Jennifer Moseley
I have been making a version of this for years:2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed1 can white corn, drained (or frozen roasted corn)2 tomatoes, large, seeded and diced1 red onion, diced1 large avocado, diced1/4 cup cilantro, chopped4 TBS lime juice2 TBS Olive Oil1 TBS Red Wine Vinegar1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepperCombine and refrigerate for two hours before serving. Tortilla scoop chips are the best vessel to get the deliciousness to your mouth. Never any leftovers!
Barbara McLean
Ditch the sugar and add cumin to taste. Delicious!
Jay
I disagree with comment about the sugar not being necessary. I mixed everything together, tasted, adjusted seasoning, and then added the sugar last. It definitely added something, and helped to pull the all of the ingredients (sweet and not sweet) together. And the amount of sugar is so small relative to the whole that the health concerns are negligible.
Carl
Add brown rice to taste to this and you have a delicious salad.
CC FTW
Whoa, there. You’ll get some side-eye in Texas if you don’t squeeze some lime in there, and maybe a little cumin. Peg Bracken might just slop a little of her me-time margarita in there and call it square. And a sigh if you don’t at least TRY to get some good avocados, but skip it if they’re the sad ones...
Franny Benanny
My version. 1 bag Frozen Roasted Corn from Trader Joe's. No need to defrost unless you want to eat it right then. Much lower in fat, my dressing is: 1 large garlic clove smashed in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, to that I add the juice of 1 lime and 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Because it rounds out the flavors better I typically add a drained tub of fresh Trader Joes Pico de Gallo as well.
Amie
I understand why people don’t want to add sugar, but the teaspoon added to the dressing for 8 cups of veggies is there to add a balance between acidity and saltiness. I know it has made my good dressings taste great.
Lauren
Trader Joe's grilled/roasted frozen corn is great in this and anywhere else!
ZuQu
In the summer when the corn is good, I cut the kernels off fresh ears and then char them in a dry cast iron skillet.
jim
The teaspoon of sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness and definitely adds to the overall flavor.
Katherine
Dice onion and jalapeño first, then let marinate in the juice of a whole lime while you prep everything else.
used white bean mayo
Great as a dip substitute that’s dairy free - food allergies prevent me from cheesy dips. This works.
Annie
A version of this has been a staple in our house for years. I dress it with avocado oil and lime juice, in keeping with the southwest flavor profile. Some people say the sugar is essential… I say a spoonful of cumin is essential. It’s just not the same dish without cumin added.
Jeanie
I love this over chopped romaine for a nice fresh and healthy salad
Alyssa
The longer it sits, the better it gets! A great staple recipe.
Marty
I would use lime juice in place of red wine vinegar next time.
Lori
Wow. I now know I do not like black-eyed peas. I made this using a different recipe with all black beans and it was delicious.
Sadie
I would only make as much of this as you think you'll realistically eat- I didn't find it held well in the fridge overnight, it quickly turned extremely soupy with the juices released from the tomatoes. But pretty much the perfect side dish to bring to a summer BBQ!
karin
Use lots of lime juice and cumin. Make ahead of time, refrigerate, and add tomatoes, parsley and avocado one hour before serving. Makes a lot….
seasonalfeast
So easy and delicious! Been having leftovers mixed with arugula and topped with roasted salmon for lunch all week long.
VicinNY
I will be making this tonight and I have no white sugar in the house so I plan to add 1-2 drops (as in, less than a tsp) of honey or molasses Instead. Anyone else out there ever try this?
Zips
I made this for Friday Happy Hour and it disappeared so fast it made my head spin. Definitely a winner.
Peter B
Gosh this makes a lot of dip, only recommend for a group of large cowboys or several smaller cowboys/cowgirls/cowX
Jenny T
Great recipe. Have also found it’s delicious added to rice with a little hot sauce for an easy rice bowl. Or added to some lettuce with some crushed up tortilla chips for a taco salad. Yum!
Michele
Never seen it with black eyed peas - West Texas style - yes to lime juice and a sprinkle of Tajín.
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