Texas Caviar

Texas Caviar is a recipe I’ve made for years and years, although I don’t think I’ve made it the same way twice. Which is the beauty of this dish as the recipe doesn’t need to be followed exactly and you can make substitutions based on your taste buds.

What exactly is Texas Caviar? It’s typically a bean salad consisting of black-eyed peas soaked in a vinaigrette-style dressing and mainly served with tortilla chips. The lime tortilla chips are my favorite.

I was introduced to this dish by my sister-in-law, who lived in Texas at the time and she served it a family gathering. I’ve since adapted her recipe, although I still constantly change it based on what I have available. Have fun with this appetizer, just make sure to include the beans, corn and vinaigrette.

Prepping the Ingredients

This recipe comes together quite easily, there is just a bit of chopping for the fresh ingredients. Using a Trimmer, dice the Roma tomatoes.

With the 7-5/8″ Petite Chef, cut off the top of the green pepper and then the sides. Cut each side into strips and then dice the strips.

Because jalapeños are hot, you may want to consider wearing gloves when cutting them. To dice the jalapeño, use the 4″ Gourmet Paring Knife to cut off the top of the pepper and then cut it in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then using the same knife, cut each half of the pepper into strips. Turn the strips to dice.

Use the 4″ Gourmet Paring Knife once again to dice the avocado.

The 7-5/8″ Petite Chef is the perfect knife to complete the rest of the prep work, including removing corn from the cob, dicing a red onion, and mincing the garlic and cilantro.

Making the Caviar

Did I mention this was an easy appetizer to make? Once all your ingredients are prepped, mix the beans, black eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, onion, pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro and avocado in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, use a Mix-Stir to combine the juice and zest of the lime with the olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt. Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and stir until everything is coated.

This recipe is best when it has time to sit so cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When you’re ready, remove the plastic wrap, stir again and serve with tortilla chips.

Texas Caviar is an easy appetizer that can be served any time of year and at any function. If fresh corn isn’t available, I’ve used frozen as a substitute. If you don’t like Roma tomatoes, substitute some quartered grape tomatoes. Use pinto beans instead of black beans or a red pepper instead of green pepper. The substitutions are endless, but the flavor remains.