Mediterranean Cowboy Caviar

Looking for a unique and easy appetizer? This Mediterranean Cowboy Caviar is a flavorful twist on the classic recipe, packed with vibrant ingredients.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword beans, bell peppers, cilantro, cumin, feta, lemons, parsley, red onions, serrano peppers

Prep Time 20

Servings as a dip

Calories 93kcal

Ingredients

Chermoula Sauce

2 Cloves Garlic
1 Serrano Pepper
Juice from 1/2 Lemon freshly squeezed
1 Cup Fresh Parsley packed
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro packed
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Dried Coriander
1/2 Tsp Salt
Black Pepper to taste

Cowboy Caviar

1 15 oz Can Black-Eyed Peas
1 15 oz Can Cannellini Beans
1 Cup Green Bell Pepper chopped
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes chopped
1 Cup Cucumber de-seeded and chopped
1/2 Red Onion chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Feta

Instructions

To begin, make the chermoula. Prep all of your ingredients - cut off the stem of the serrano pepper, cut in half, then remove the ribs and seeds (or you can keep them if you really like spice!). Give the pepper a rough chop, then peel the garlic.
Add the serrano pepper, garlic, and the juice from 1/2 a lemon to the food processor, and process those alone until the garlic is totally minced. Let everything sit in the lemon juice for about a minute, to mellow out the raw garlic.
Then, add the rest of the chermoula ingredients to the food processor and process until you have a chunky pesto-ish consistency. Don't overblend - you still want chunks of herbs instead of a totally smooth paste. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking. I added more lemon juice because I like the tangy flavor!
When done, let the chermoula rest while you make the rest of the recipe.
For the cowboy caviar, prep the vegetables as follows: Dice up a green bell pepper until you have 1 cup. Cut your cucumber in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon (save them in the freezer for smoothies!). Then, dice the cucumber until you have one cup. Dice 1/2 of a red onion, and dice cherry tomatoes until you have 1 cup.
Add all of the chopped veggies to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.
Rinse, drain, and pat dry your cans of black-eyed peas and cannellini beans. (If using homemade, use 1 1/2 cups of each.) Add them to the bowl with the veggies.
Pour as much or as little of the chermoula over the cowboy caviar as you'd like, and mix. Reserve any leftover chermoula for marinades or salads.
Serve the cowboy caviar with chips, and enjoy!

Notes

Serrano peppers are usually hotter than jalapeños. If you'd prefer a less spicy chermoula, use jalapeños with the ribs and seeds removed.
To make this vegan, simply omit the feta.
If you can't find black-eyed peas, or don't want to use them, sub with chickpeas or black beans.

Nutrition

https://wellandfull.com/2025/04/mediterranean-cowboy-caviar/

Tried this recipe?Let me know @wellandfull or tag #wellandfull! :)