How spicy is this salad?

The jalapeño gives a little kick, but it is not too strong. If I am making it for the kids or someone who does not like much spice, I take out the seeds or skip the jalapeño altogether. It still tastes bright and flavorful without it.

Can I add protein to this salad?

Yes, you can definitely add vegan protein to this salad. I often toss in a cup of cooked quinoa, lentils, or even cubed baked tofu. They blend right in with the beans and veggies, make the salad more filling, and still keep the zesty flavor my family loves.

What dressing works best?

I really love the lime, honey, and spice dressing in this recipe because it is so fresh and zesty. You can make it a little sweeter with more honey or more tangy with extra lime juice, depending on your taste. It always tastes best when whisked together just before pouring over the salad.

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Cowboy Salad Recipe

Name: Cowboy Salad Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 can black eyed beans (15 ounces); 1 can black beans (15 ounces); 1 ½ cups corn (frozen or cut from ears fresh); ¾ cup chopped red onion; ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper; ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper; 1 cup avocado (cubed); ¼ cup chopped cilantro; ½ -1 jalapeno (chopped); ¼ cup olive oil (use broth if oil free); 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 4 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup); 1- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder; 1 ½ teaspoon cumin

By Sophia DeSantis, Reviewed by Anjali Shah on August 7, 2025

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Easy and tasty summer salads don’t get much better than this Mexican-inspired Cowboy Salad. It’s loaded with protein from black beans, a little kick from jalapeno, and tossed in a sweet tangy dressing that makes every summer cookout more exciting.

An orange background with a white bowl filled with a cowboy caviar salad next to sprigs of cilantro and half a lime sitting next to half a jalapeno.

Now that summer is here, I’ve been meaning to make a salad version of this hearty vegan black beans recipe, as it took forever to prepare and didn’t have the flavor I was after for my new salad.

Table of Contents hide

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

🍽 Serving Suggestions

🧊 Storage Directions

❓Recipe FAQs

🥗 More Healthy Salad Recipes!

📋 Recipe Card

My husband is always talking about my flavorful vegan black bean enchiladas, so I used those flavors as inspiration for this cowboy salad. With jalapeno, black beans, corn, avocado, and bell peppers as the stars, I pulled together a salad in just 20 minutes that tastes like a fiesta in a bowl.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

The combination of protein-rich black beans, sweet corn, cilantro, jalapenos, crunchy bell peppers, and creamy avocado creates this incredible medley of textures and flavors. My boys love the colorful presentation, and I love that it’s packed with fiber, plant-based protein, and healthy fats that fuel their active lifestyles. The lime dressing with cumin and chili powder adds this amazing southwestern flair that makes every bite super flavorful.

Making this salad is ridiculously simple, which is exactly what I need when I’m on a tight schedule with school runs and trying to get a nutritious dinner on the table! I literally just dump everything into a big bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, and toss it all together. Nothing complicated here, just natural flavors working wonders! Plus, I can make it in the morning, and by dinnertime, it’s perfectly marinated and ready to serve, while everyone thinks I’ve been cooking all day. Ha!

Honestly, it’s the best cowboy salad I’ve ever tried, and it’s perfect for so many reasons! When the boys want a quick snack, I pair it with chips. For those rare relaxing pool days by myself, I just grab a fork and boom, lunch is ready. When the neighbors invite us for a last-minute BBQ (it happens every summer), my cowboy salad is ready and waiting in the fridge like a superhero. My friend, who absolutely loves Mexican food, didn’t leave a single bean in the bowl on our last dinner date – it’s lick your plate clean, kinda delicious! If you love Mexican flavors, then you’ll devour this cowboy salad!

🥘 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make the base for this easy cowboy “caviar” salad. These simple ingredients come together to make a colorful dish that’s perfect for summer gatherings.

Beans: I like using both black eyed beans and black beans because they make the salad hearty and full of protein. They also absorb the dressing so well.

Veggies: I add corn, red onion, and both red and green bell peppers for crunch, sweetness, and a nice pop of color.

Fresh add-ins: I toss in avocado, cilantro, and a little jalapeño for freshness and a touch of spice. I love that it makes the whole salad taste bright and lively.

For the dressing: I mix olive oil, fresh lime juice, and a touch of honey or maple syrup for sweetness. Then I season it with sea salt, chili powder, and cumin to give it a perfect southwestern flavor.

🔪 How To Make

Once you’ve chopped all the veggies, all that’s left to do to make this cowboy salad recipe is simple. Here’s how I do it:

Prep the salad ingredients: I add all the chopped veggies, avocado and beans to a large mixing bowl.

A glass bowl with ingredients to make cowboy caviar lined up surrounded by more ingredients in bowls on an orange background.

Prep the dressing: I whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Then, I pour it over the salad and toss everything together.