“According to legend, cowboy caviar first emerged during a New Year's Eve party at a Houston country club in the 1950s. Neiman Marcus food director Helen Corbitt introduced this dish at the party as a simple pickled black-eyed pea salad, but the combination of the buttery legumes and vinegary dressing became such a hit that guests dubbed it "cowboy caviar" (because of its "humble" ingredients and luxe flavor dynamics) and started spreading the word all over the Lone Star State.”.

Taylor, T. (July 18, 2022). Everything You Need to Know About Cowboy Caviar, the Perfect Potluck Dish. Southern Living.

 The Dallas Morning News and Food and Wine magazine dates this culinary creation closer to 1940. There is likewise ongoing, widespread debate regarding the preferred/correct title, Texas Caviar versus Cowboy Caviar.

There is no disagreement about how good this salad/vegetable side/dip is.

While black-eyed peas (cowpeas) are grown in several Texas South Plains counties, Lonestar state farmers produced more than 2.8 million bushels of soybeans last year (Source: texassoybeans.org).

We decided to put black and yellow soybeans (with black hilum) to the test with this beloved recipe.

Can the type of bean you use in your recipes make a difference? You be the judge.

 All legumes are a great source of dietary fiber.

Did you know that soybeans are also the gold standard for plant-based protein and are nutrient-dense?

Source: The Good Food Institute

 If you would rather eat your vitamins than take vitamins, soybeans are a great choice as a center-of-the-plate protein entrée, for snacks, vegetable sides, and even desserts.

Cowboy/Texas Caviar has a rich history with multiple recipe variations since the original 1940s version. The culinary core of this delicacy always includes a vinaigrette dressing, legumes, corn, peppers, and onions.

With a nod of our hat to Texas soybean farmers, this version is a delicious keeper!

Enjoy!

Soylicious® Cowboy Caviar

Prep Time: Washing & Chopping – 30 minutes. Refrigerate the dish for at least 6 hours before serving. Overnight is best.

Serves: 11

Ingredients

Dressing

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ⅓ cup Red Wine Vinegar

• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon garlic salt

• ½ teaspoon restaurant-ground black pepper (or freshly ground)

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

Vegetables

• 1 ½ cups of cooked black soybeans

• 1 ½ cups of small yellow soybeans (with a black hilum)

• ½ cup of diced tomatoes (seeded)

• ½ cup of roasted frozen, canned, or fresh corn

• ½ cup of finely chopped red onion

• ½ cup of chopped red bell or sweet pepper

• ½ cup of chopped yellow bell or sweet pepper

• 2-3 chopped green onions

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional if you don’t like spice)

• Cilantro to taste prior to serving (optional) 

Directions

 Getting Ready:

1. Pre-Cook and freeze soybeans (can also be cooked that day with an Instant Pot).

2. If frozen, thaw soybeans in the refrigerator or in the microwave and rinse.

3. Chop onion, garlic, and peppers.

STEP 1: Make your dressing and let the spices blend for a moment.

• Prepare the vinaigrette by combining the oil, vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin in a small jar with a lid.

• Place the lid on the jar and shake the dressing until mixed well.

• Let the dressing rest a minute.

STEP 2:  Get a large bowl and combine your rinsed beans and chopped veggies.

• Combine and toss the black and yellow rinsed soybeans, diced tomatoes, corn, and chopped onions and peppers.

  STEP 3:

• Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss lightly.

• Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Flavors are awesome is chilled overnight!

• Immediately prior to serving, add chopped cilantro (optional).

Serve with:

• Tortilla chips as a dip.

• I love to add chopped avocado to use as a salad or vegetable side. This is my favorite way to eat this tasty dish.

A great vegetable side or salad for a BB Que, as a healthy and tasty appetizer before the big game, or to make the crowd happy at a potluck!

ENJOY!