Monti Carlo’s Caribbean Cowboy Caviar

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

I have been cooking for a very long time. I was taught how to navigate the kitchen, and what went with what, when I was a youngster by my Latin American family. As a kid who lived in New York City, though, my tastes extended beyond the scope of Latin and Caribbean flavors to the American fare I was growing up around. I loved cheese omelettes and chicken nuggets just as much as I loved pastelitos, pernil, and sofrito-laced beans.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Pique (recipe below)
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (15-ounce) can pink beans
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
6-7 ounces sweet peppers (red, orange, yellow), seeded, and cut into a small dice
3 Roma tomatoes, hulled, and cut into a small dice
2 honey mangoes (also called Ataulfo mangoes), peeled, seeded, and cut into a small dice
1/2 medium red onion, cut into a small dice (1/2 cup)
1 (packed) cup  chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt
Plantain chips, for serving

Instructions

Make the dressing:
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, lime zest, the Pique, adobo, salt, and brown sugar, until the sugar has dissolved.
Make the salad:
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a colander set in the sink, combine the garbanzo, pink, and black beans. Rinse them well with cool water and drain, then pour them onto the prepared baking sheet and pat dry.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, sweet peppers, tomatoes, mangoes, red onion, and cilantro. Pour the dressing around the inside of the bowl and mix gently so the vegetables are evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Stir and add salt to taste before serving with plantain chips.