Cowboy Bean Salad with Lime Dressing

Why make a boring old Bean Salad when you can make it a COWBOY one?? Fun to say, delicious to eat, this big, juicy black bean salad is fresh, simple and fully loaded, tossed with a lime dressing laced with South Western spices.

Use any beans you want. Serve it as a side, stuff into tacos, pile onto nachos. Lasts for days – think meal prep and work lunches!

Cowboy Bean Salad

“Bean Salad” just sounds so dull. But stick the word “Cowboy” in front of it, and suddenly it sounds so much more exciting. Right? Same dish, different packaging. Age old marketing trick! 😂

Though actually, this is a riff on a salsa dish known as Cowboy Caviar in the US. With one big important difference – it has a fraction of the sugar. Cowboy Caviar is traditionally made with so much sugar, my tooth aches just reading recipes!!

This Cowboy Bean Salad has the same good stuff in it – but 95% less sugar in the Dressing. I guarantee you won’t miss it!

You’ll love how this bean salad lasts for days and days!

What you need for Cowboy Bean Salad

Here’s what you need! Use any beans you want – even lentils or chickpeas. And if you’re one of those coriander/cilantro haters, switch it for chives.

How to make it

Pop open cans, shake up the dressing and sharpen your knife to get chopping!

Bean Salad to serve with anything!

Interesting enough for a meal, great side for any protein! It’s especially ideal for South American food and Southern/South West/Texas, most Western foods and Middle Eastern dishes.

1. Side dish for mains – it’s hearty enough to serve with beef, fresh enough for fish, and everything in between! Because it’s a salsa-type salad, you can also serve it spoon ON the cooked meat.

Main dish suggestions

Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

Crispy Pan Fried Fish

A Great Pork Chop Marinade

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Baked Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce

Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops

Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon

Broccoli Chicken Fritters

Beef Steak Marinade

Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)

2. Light meal – it will keep you full thanks to the beans!

3. Dipping salsa – scoop it up with corn chips;

4. All things Mexican – stuff in / pile on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas

Mexican dishes

Taco recipes

Burritos

Enchiladas

Nachos recipes

Fajitas

This will keep for 4 days in the fridge – and the avocado won’t go brown (contact with air makes it go brown, the Dressing provides a film to stop this from happening). I like to add a squeeze of lime to freshen it up, then give it a toss and dig into it! (again) – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Cowboy Bean Salad

Author: Nagi

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Side Dish

South Western, Western

4.98 from 38 votes

Servings8 as a side

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Recipe video above. Why make a boring ole' Bean Salad when you can make it a COWBOY one?? A fresh, simple, healthy black bean salad with a South West lime dressing, this is endlessly versatile and lasts for days. Serve it as a side, stuff it in tacos, burritos and wraps. Pile onto burritos and tacos, take it to work for lunch! {Quantity: Written recipe scaled down to use 1 can of each beans and corn, pictures and video show double batch}

Ingredients

Cowboy Bean Salad:

• ▢ 400g/14 oz can black beans , rinsed & drained (Note 1)
• ▢ 400g/14 oz can corn , drained (or frozen thawed 1.5 cups)
• ▢ 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , 1cm/1/3″ diced
• ▢ 1 avocado , diced
• ▢ 1 red onion , diced
• ▢ 3/4 cup coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped
• ▢ 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes , quartered (or 2 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced, Note 2)

Cowboy Lime Dressing:

• ▢ 2 tbsp lime juice
• ▢ 4 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (or American Chili Powder, Note 3)
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• ▢ 2 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1 garlic , finely ninced
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt

Cook ModePrevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

• Shake Dressing in a jar.
• Place Salad ingredients in a big bowl. Drizzle over Dressing, toss.
• Serve immediately, or keep for up to 4 days! Might need a squeeze of lime to freshen the flavour.
• Serve as a light meal or side (goes with everything – beef, fish, prawns, pork, chicken). Especially great with all things Mexican – stuff in / pile on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas – and Southern Foods (pulled pork, barbcue ribs, fried chicken!)

Recipe Notes:

1. Black beans – in the spirit of “Cowboy food”, I use black beans. But any beans will do here – even lentils and chickpeas.

2. Tomatoes – if using large tomatoes, cut in half and scoop out watery centre, then dice.

3. Chipotle powder ??- sub smoked paprika.

Chipotle powder still not yet in mainstream grocery stores in Australia! It’s dried smokey flavoured jalapeños and it’s a staple ingredient in Tex Mex / South West / Mexican cooking. Found at Harris Farms (NSW/QLD) and some speciality grocery stores, or online at Firework Foods (I get Mexican ingredients from here) (PS Chipotle SEASONING can be used but skip salt in recipe)

4. Storage – keep for 4 days in the fridge (with dressing), might need a fresh squeeze of lime. Avocado won’t go brown once dressed.

5. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 250cal (13%)Carbohydrates: 30g (10%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Sodium: 395mg (17%)Potassium: 1457mg (42%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 2143IU (43%)Vitamin C: 166mg (201%)Calcium: 302mg (30%)Iron: 11mg (61%)

Keywords: bean salad, black bean salad, cowboy salad

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