Cowboy Caviar Salad or Side

Makes 4 servings

Helen Corbitt became famous for many of the dishes she created as the culinary director of Neiman Marcus in Dallas. This bean salad, reported to have been served for the first time in 1940, is one that endured. It was originally called Texas Caviar, the name a wink to the shape of expensive caviar mimicked by inexpensive beans. Traditionally made with black-eyed peas, the salad is often served on New Year’s Day in the South, when eating beans is said to ensure a year of prosperity.

The salad has cooked (see bean basics) or canned black-eyed peas or beans (red, black or pinto) mixed with onions, peppers (hot and sweet), tomatoes, garlic and the (not-from-the-original-recipe) “extras” that make it so good: herbs, spices and lots of lime juice. As with just about anything made with beans, doubling it (or multiplying by almost any number) for a party is easy. The fact that the dish is best made a few hours ahead is another reason to think about it when you’re partying, grilling, beaching or buffeting.

a word on measurements and ingredients

While I’ve given you measurements, please treat them as a guide. Just as you might want more cumin or paprika, you may want more onion or pepper. Toss, taste and decide. As for the tomatoes, if you’d like, you can use canned fire-roasted tomatoes; drain them well. And if they’ve got some jalapeños mixed in, that’s nice.

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
• ½ teaspoon honey
• About 2 cups (450 grams) cooked or canned beans (see headnote), rinsed, drained and patted dry if canned
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, germ removed (see sidebar) and finely chopped
• ½ red onion, finely chopped or diced, rinsed and patted dry
• ½ bell pepper, finely chopped or diced
• ½ jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped or diced
• 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped or diced (or drained canned; see headnote)
• ½ cup (20 grams) finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Working Ahead

The salad, without the tomatoes and cilantro, which are quick wilters, is best made a few hours, or even a day, ahead and refrigerated. You can make the vinaigrette a day ahead as well.

Put the oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, salt, paprika and honey in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to blend. Set the vinaigrette aside until needed. (You can make the vinaigrette a day ahead; keep refrigerated.)

Put the rest of the ingredients except the tomatoes, cilantro and optional hot sauce in a large bowl and toss to mix. If you’re going to serve the salad now, add the tomatoes and cilantro; if you’re going to refrigerate the salad — a good move — hold off and add them just before serving.

Toss the salad with about three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Add hot sauce, if you’d like, and, if you’ve got time, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

When you’re ready to serve, add the tomatoes and cilantro if you haven’t already and taste for salt and spices. Add hot sauce, if you’d like. If the salad has sopped up the vinaigrette, toss it with a little more. (Reserve any leftover vinaigrette — it’s good on greens or tomatoes.) Serve chilled or at room temperature, with or without chips.

 

Storing: It’s best to add the tomatoes and cilantro at the last minute, but even with these add-ins, leftover salad will be good a day later.

Choices: The salad is terrific alongside anything from burgers to grilled fish, and it also makes a good, heartier-than-it-looks main dish: Add corn, mango and/or avocado, toss in some shrimp and spoon the whole kit and caboodle over kale or spinach.