Mexican Caviar
A simple mix of chopped black olives, green chilies, tomatoes and green onions marinated in vinegar, garlic and seasonings, and just screaming to be dipped with a corn chip.
There are a ton of recipes on the Internet that follow the theme of combining small, chopped vegetable ingredients with some seasonings, olive oil and vinegar, dispensed on any variety of corn chips, and calling it something it isn't, namely, caviar.
Texas Caviar, Mexican Caviar, Cowboy Caviar and Poor Man's Caviar. There is no common collage of thought as to what differentiates one from another and indeed, there are more than a few recipes that contain the same list of ingredients but are called by different names.
My Number One Fan found this recipe when we lived in Texas perhaps fifteen years ago and it's been a staple appetizer in our repertoire when entertaining informally. While this recipe is very simple, you could augment it to something more substantial with the addition of corn, black beans, avocado and cilantro. But we prefer the simplicity of this list of ingredients, which will keep for many days in the fridge.
Either Fritos Scoops or Tostitos Scoops, or any restaurant-style tortilla chip, will work as the carrier for this delicious snack, but if you use Fritos, which is my personal preference, be advised to back off a bit on the salt in this recipe.
Mexican Caviar
Ingredients
- 2 4-1/2-oz cans chopped ripe black olives (like, Mario or Early California)
- 2 4-oz cans chopped green chilies (like, Old El Paso or Hatch)
- 2 medium sized ripe red tomatoes, diced
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 7-8 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 stiff dashes Tabasco Sauce
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving along side a basket of your choice of corn chip.
