This cilantro and black bean salad is full of black and pinto beans, corn, veggies, lime and cilantro. The perfect “dip” for chips or side dish.

When I thought I was inventing something years ago when I first made this dish, I didn’t realize it had a name – or at least there was something very similar out there called cowboy caviar. So, while this black bean salad or salsa or whatever you want to call it isn’t revolutionary it sure does taste damn good.

Sometimes when you’re craving something spicy, you don’t want all the heaviness of cheese that often comes with Mexican food. That’s why I love making this black bean salad with corn and avocado. It’s delicious, without all the melted cheese.

With that being said – it wouldn’t be Mexican food without some cheese right? That’s why the diced monterey jack is so perfect because it gives you a little something, but doesn’t overpower the meal.

This Mexican black bean salad is a favorite in my house because it’s so versatile.

Here are some ideas for how you can eat this delicious corn and black bean salad:

Cilantro and Black bean salad as a main course

Usually when I’m not super hungry, but want something to eat, I make this because it’s fresh, light, and easy to whip up. To make it even heartier as a main course, you can add some cooked quinoa to it, which will add some protein.

Cilantro and Black Bean Salad as a garnish

One time I had some of this leftover and I used it as a topping for Salmon. It was amazing! You could also add it to some southwest baked chicken for a delicious garnish and to add more flavor.

Serve the black bean salad with corn up as a dip

I LOVE to eat this with chips. Honestly, you could call that a main course or you can serve it up as an appetizer or side dish. With the avocado chunks, lime, salt and cilantro, it will have your mouth watering to pair it with chips, too.

So, how do you make this fresh, Cilantro & Black Bean Salad (AKA – Cowboy Caviar)?

In a nutshell, you just throw all the ingredients into a bowl and serve it up. It’s that easy! I would just wait to add your avocado until right before serving so it doesn’t brown.

Here are my favorite ingredients to add to my recipe:

1 can corn, drain juice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of cilantro (you can’t leave this one out!! sorry!!)
Juice of one lime
2 green onions finely chopped
3 roma tomatoes chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 small avocado, diced
1 small jalapeño diced
3-8 oz of monterey jack cheese cut into small cubes
Salt to taste