When I first tried Texas Caviar at a friend’s house years ago, I was expecting something that looked like…caviar. I quickly realized that Texas Caviar bears no resemblance to the fancy fish eggs from the sea.
This side dish is a refreshing hybrid between Texas Caviar and rich guacamole made with ripe avocados. It’s a wonderful medley of flavors that can be served with tortilla chips, added to tacos, or even enjoyed on its own.
Texas Caviar Meets Guacamole, with Tortilla Chips
When I first tried Texas Caviar at a friend’s house years ago, I was expecting something that looked like…caviar. I quickly realized that Texas Caviar bears no resemblance to the fancy fish eggs from the sea. This side dish is a refreshing hybrid between Texas Caviar and rich guacamole made with ripe avocados. It's a wonderful medley of flavors that can be served with tortilla chips, added to tacos, or even enjoyed on its own.
Ingredients
For the Texas Caviar:
- 1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 small red onion, small dice
- 1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, flesh cut medium dice
- 1 fresh jalapeño, finely minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Zest from 1 lime
- Juice from 1 lime
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Guacamole:
- 3 ripe avocados, peeled
- Zest from 1 lime
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely minced
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 bag of tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the Texas caviar.
- In a large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, diced Roma tomato, minced jalapeño, and chopped cilantro.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Pour the liquid dressing over the bean mixture, and stir well to combine.
- Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
- While the Texas caviar is marinating, prepare the guacamole
- Halve the avocados, and remove the pits.
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl, and add the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and Kosher salt.
- Mash the avocado and other ingredients together with a fork until you achieve your desired consistency.
- *Some prefer like their guacamole chunky, while others prefer it smoother—you do you.
- Toss the Texas Caviar mixture in the dressing again, and drain off any extra liquid.
- Fold the prepared guacamole into the drained Texas caviar mixture.
- Gently mix until they are well combined.
- Refrigerate the appetizer for ten minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve chilled with tortilla chips, or as a topping for your favorite Mexican dishes.
Notes
This dish will taste great if you make it a few hours before you intend to serve it—although it helps to drain the Texas Caviar right before mixing with the guacamole, as the tomatoes will continue to release some additional liquid over time.