Texas Caviar

This healthy Texas Caviar is the perfect Southern side dish or dip for your next gathering.

Being from New England, I had never heard of Texas Caviar until three weeks ago. My very Southern uncle was craving black eyed peas and being a family full of women who love to cook and nurture, someone was definitely going to fulfill his craving. My aunt decided to take on the task and ended up making this delicious Texas Caviar packed with black eyed peas, bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and cilantro all covered in a simple red wine vinaigrette. She made hers with dried black eyed peas that she cooked first since it's a bit hard to find black eyed peas in New Hampshire, but I decided to take a shortcut with this recipe and use a canned version to speed things up. Then all you need is the veggies and dressing and it's ready to go.

Now in terms of the recipe, there are a million ways to make Texas Caviar and everyone has their own version. Some people like to add fresh or canned corn, others like to add pickled jalapenos, some leave out the tomatoes, and many use a bottle of Italian dressing. You can make yours any way you like, but I recommend reaching for as many fresh veggies as your guests will allow you to sneak in. Served as a side dish or dip with some baked tortilla chips - it's a dish I will definitely be making again.