Texas Caviar

About this recipe

Texas Caviar is a chilled salad of black-eyed peas with sweetcorn, pepper, cherry tomatoes, fresh jalapeño and red onion, all dressed with a garlic and coriander vinaigrette. Ironically named as a Texan take on luxury caviar - being an accessible and abundant version - this dish was born in the 1940s in Texas and became the star starter of picnics, barbecues and parties across the American South. Served cold with tortilla chips for scooping, or as a side dish for grilled meats. Fresh, colourful, full of texture and very easy to prepare.

1. 1

   Drain and rinse the tinned black-eyed peas. If using dried, cook them first with salt until tender but not falling apart.

   💡 Tinned ones save time and work perfectly for this chilled salad.

2. 2

   Finely dice the green pepper, jalapeño (remove seeds for less heat), red onion and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Shell the corn if using fresh.

   💡 Uniform cuts make the salad look better and give a consistent texture in every mouthful.

3. 3

   Make the vinaigrette: mix the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, lime juice, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper. Emulsify well with a fork.

   💡 The sugar balances the acidity of the vinegar - don't leave it out even if it seems unusual.

4. 4

   Mix the peas, sweetcorn, pepper, jalapeño, onion, tomatoes and chopped coriander in a large bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette and mix well.

   💡 Only add diced avocado just before serving to prevent it browning.

5. 5

   Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavours to meld. Serve cold with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

   💡 Keeps for 3 days in the fridge covered. It tastes even better the next day.