Cowboy Caviar

During the hot summer months, the idea of eating a warm and hearty soup seems to steer a lot of people away from utilizing beans in their everyday diet. Because they are so easy to add to any soup or stew, it is easy to forget that beans can adapt just as well to chilled dishes. This recipe features the “earthy” flavor of blackeye peas with fresh vegetables, and is tossed in a delicious tangy and spicy dressing.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

Servings

20

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Ingredients

  • 1 package Hurst’s Blackeye HamPeas®

  • 1 cup diced tomato (substitute canned if you need to)

  • 1 cup sweet corn (cut from 2 ears)

  • 1 cup green pepper, diced.

  • 1 cup diced red onion

  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded.

  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 4-5 stalks green onion

  • 1/4-1/2 cup cilantro

  • Juice from 1 lime

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

  1. Place blackeyes in a colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly. Sort through the beans, check for any debris or dirt and discard. Place rinsed beans in a large soup pot and cover with at least 2” of water. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about 2 hrs. Check the tenderness periodically toward the end of the cooking time. When they have cooked through but still hold their shape, remove from the heat and drain off excess water. Pour the beans into a large mixing bowl to cool off.

  2. While the beans are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Cut the fresh corn off the cob and dice the tomato, onion, and green pepper into 1/4” pieces.

  3. In a food processor or blender, add garlic, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño, oil, and vinegar. Puree mixture for 1-2 minutes.

  4. Place chopped vegetables into bowl with beans. Pour dressing over the top and stir entire mixture to combine. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (the longer the better) before serving to allow time for the flavors to meld.

  5. Serve chilled with tortilla chips for dipping.