You can also call this Texas caviar or cowboy caviar. This recipe is made from scratch with only natural ingredients! It will go over well at your next party whether you use it as a salad, or as a dip.
– 2 cans (14 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black-eyed pea – 1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black bean – 1 ½ cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn), or 1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained – 1 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about ¾ pound) – 1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped – ¾ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion) – ½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stem – 1 to 2 jalapeños, ribs removed, seeded and finely chopped – 1 avocado (optional)
Italian dressing – ⅓ cup olive oil – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lime juice – 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced – 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt, to taste – 1 teaspoon dried oregano – ½ teaspoon dried basil – 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey – ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flake – Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Put the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large bowl.
If you are going to include avocado in the dip, you should wait to dice it until you are ready to serve it. This will prevent the avocado from turning brown in the meantime.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a cup with a whisk until everything is well mixed. Pour the dressing over the bowl of salad and mix it well by tossing it.
Feel free to add more salt and pepper to your liking. There are two ways to make the salad taste better: add more vinegar or olive oil. If you want it to taste more like pickles, add another tablespoon of vinegar.
Let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes before serving for the best taste. If you want to add avocado, do so right before you serve.