Heading to a 4th of July party in a few days? I’ve got the perfect “dip” for you to bring! And don’t be surprised if you bring home the bowl licked completely clean. I could easily eat this for lunch or dinner. This is one of my favorite things to make when we know we have a crowd coming to hang out on the beach on Saturdays. I made it for the crew last night just to confirm and everyone gave it the thumbs up!

There are three main reasons I like to make this for a big group. First, It’s very easy to make and creates a huge bowl that can feed a lot of people. The beans and corn really pump up the volume. Second, it’s best made the day before of several hours before you serve it, which is very convenient for bringing to a party. It will also last for a couple days if you have leftovers. And most importantly, people are always asking “who made that dip??” Because they want the recipe! That always makes me happy :)

It’s full of all kinds of healthy things for you AND it’s somehow still completely addicting – what a great combo? If you do have some leftover, it is delicious as a salsa on grilled chicken, filler for tacos and omelets, or served on top of a salad, no dressing required.

Cowboy Caviar

Source (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black eyed peas or pinto beans
• 1 can corn
• 4-5 Roma tomatoes
• 4 green onions thinly sliced
• ½ bunch cilantro chopped finely
• 2-3 avocados (ripe but still firm)
• 1-2 limes
• ½ cup Italian dressing
• salt and ground pepper
• tortilla chips

Directions:

Drain and rinse the black beans, pinto beans, and corn. Add to a large bowl.

You will want to make sure to remove the seeds from the tomatoes before you dice them so that they don’t add too much liquid to the dip. If you are using Roma tomatoes, slice them lengthwise and use your fingers to remove the seeds. If using tomatoes on the vine, cut them in half width wise to easily remove the seeds. Then add the diced tomatoes to the large bowl, along with the green onions and cilantro. Mix everything together.

The last part of the dip to add is the avocado. If you are making this the day before, I would recommend waiting until the day of the party to add the avocado so that it stays fresh. Dice the avocado and put it on top of the dip. Then before mixing it in, squeeze the lime juice all over it. This will prevent the avocado from browning.

Finally, add the Italian dressing and stir everything up. At this point, you can add as much ground pepper and salt as you would like. You can taste it a few times until you get it right.

Chill the Cowboy Caviar in the fridge for a few hours until it is cold and the flavors have marinated together. You will notice a big difference in taste once the flavors meld together. It’s delicious with big tortilla chips for scooping!

I’ve also got the perfect 4th of July T-shirt for you! I just bought this from Gap a few days ago and it’s been a hit! I bought the periwinkle color and have received lots of compliments.