Recipe Background
Cowboy Salad is a zesty mix of smoky, tangy, and fresh flavors, easy to prepare.
Cowboy Salad is a vibrant celebration of flavors, bringing together the robust heartiness of the Southwest with a delightful crunch. As you toss it all together, the fresh scent of lime juice mingles with the smokiness of barbecue sauce, promising a taste excursion. Each component, from crisp romaine to creamy avocado and sweet corn, dances in harmony. Little bursts of tangy lime and the earthiness of beans are contrasted by spicy jalapeño and savory bacon bits. It's as if your favorite barbecue and a refreshing classic salad had a shindig, and everyone’s invited.
Preparing it is as easy as roping cattle, if cattle were made of tasty ingredients in your fridge. A whirl of the whisk and your dressing is ready to bring everything into balance. What could be simpler? It's a salad that can be made with your eyes closed—or maybe just one eye open if you're wielding a sharp knife. Ideal for get-togethers, the dish is as generously welcoming as a cowboy offering a seat at the campfire.
Ingredients
For the barbecue ranch dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed and drained
- 6 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 avocado chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- scallions to taste, sliced
Directions
- In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, the barbecue sauce, the Dijon mustard, the Worcestershire sauce, and the lime juice and whisk to combine. Set the dressing aside.
- In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, the black beans, the black-eyed peas, the corn, the crumbled bacon, the tomatoes, the cheese, the avocadoes, the bell peppers, the jalapeños, the onions, and the scallions and toss to combine.
- Serve the salad drizzled with the dressing.
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