Cool & Completely Refreshing Cowboy Caviar!

This was one recipe that went viral that I knew I wanted to make from the absolute very first time I saw it on TikTok! I am obsessed with all sorts of salads, salsas, and dips that are created just like this, especially in the Summer time! A bowl of fresh deliciousness such as this reminds me of the trips I’ve taken to The Hotel Hershey to get pampered at their spa and to eat lunch in my rope. Sounds super luxurious Diamonds I know, but that’s because it is and it is worth it! The experience is amazing along with the incredible buffet they have set up for spa guests inside the Oasis. The food they serve is immaculate and unreal! Everything is cold besides the soup of the day they have being kept hot inside of a warming pot. The reason this cowboy caviar reminds me so much of my trips to the spa where I ate the most bountiful buffet lunch of my life is because they display so many amazingly beautiful salads and platters that are layered with colorful vegetables and legumes, then tossed in creamy, tangy dressings! Which is exactly what my version of the viral cowboy caviar consists of! I’m so happy things like this have been getting quite popular throughout the world because it allows picky eaters and people who don’t think they like healthier options to understand that you can make anything insanely addictive! Unexpectedly, dishes that are loaded with fresh vegetables and bright, farm fresh flavors will become your new Summer must haves.

Start with a huge wooden bowl and a can opener to get all of your beans and things cracked open so that you can start piling them on top of each other to create the “caviar”.

Drain and rinse one can of garbanzo beans.
Throw them into the bowl!

Do the same with one can of light kidney beans!
If the dark kidney beans are all you have that’s perfectly fine. Although, I find that the skin of the lighter ones are not as tough.

Then do the same once again with a small can of lima beans.

You may drain a can of sliced black olives, but there’s no need to rinse them!
Pour the olives on top of the beans.

The last thing you’ll need to drain is a can of yellow corn. If you have fresh roasted or grilled corn on the cob left over you can definitely use that instead for even more flavor!

Peel a large cucumber. Slice it long ways and deseed! Then cube it to match the size of everything else that’s in the caviar.

Dice a whole fresh carrot and two green bell peppers.

Dice up half of a white onion and a carton of cherry tomatoes.

The last two things to add into this bowl of brightness is one avocado, chopped, and two scallions, chopped.

As for Seasonings: (ALL to taste)

Sea salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Basil
Oregano
Parsley

The Dressing: Southwest Caesar!

1/2 cup of good mayonnaise.
2 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard.
1/8 cup of Romano cheese for that salty, umami bite.
The juice from half of a lime.
The juice from half of a lemon.
1 tablespoon of Mexican hot sauce.
1 tablespoon of honey.
Seasoned salt.
Paprika.
Everything but the elote seasoning. If you don’t have this it’s perfectly okay! I like to use it when I’m working with corn.

Whisk all of these ingredients together while you slowly pour in 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Mix everything together with the dressing!

Once you make your first batch of this cowboy caviar, you’ll totally get why everyone and their mother has been posting it and talking about it on all socials! It is honestly so scrumptious with everything that’s in it and the mouthwatering dressing that it is topped with makes chopping up all of the produce worth while! I This is better than a traditional salsa to me, especially during grilling season! It would be perfect paired with grilled fish, or alongside a strip steak and an ice cold IPA. You’ll absolutely need to make this for the next cookout you host in your backyard! It could also be packed up to bring to a barbecue or potluck you’ve been invited to. Something like this is great for something like that since there is more then enough to serve a big crowd at once!