When I was a teenager I had my first taste of real caviar. My mother and I were staying at a beautiful bed and breakfast that was in a historic home in Natchez, Mississippi. The stay came complete with an afternoon wine and cheese hour. I was allowed to indulge in a small flute of champagne and all the cheese and crackers I could stuff into my mouth. Sitting on a peach satin couch amongst beautiful antiques and strangers, I decided to be adventurous and grown up, sophisticated even. I was going to eat caviar. After the first bite, I almost vomited in my mouth. To my surprise caviar tasted like fish eggs. All I could do to swallow the speckle covered cracker and then chug my champagne to rinse out my mouth. Never again I vowed!
And, then upon the birth of my son caviar came calling again. My oldest friend – who also happens to live in Mississippi – saved me by bringing me tons of food. Soup, sandwiches, chips, and something called “Mississippi Caviar.” As you might imagine, my inner teen immediately had a visceral reaction to the idea. However, I was starving. Taking care of a kid was just days old to me and I needed calories to keep up with the little milk sucker. And since I hadn’t learned how to get dressed and deal with everything, much less cook, I was delighted to see anything – even something called caviar. As it turns out this version had no fish eggs at all. Just a wonderful protein packed mix of black eyed peas and peppers. Ever since then I have sworn I would figure out how to make my own version of the Mississippi caviar recipe.
Print
Mississippi Caviar
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
a vegetarian black eyed pea dip
Ingredients
- 2 can of black eyed peas, drained
- 1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
- 1 roasted and marinated red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 of a red onion finely, chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sweet and spicy peppers (find these in the pickle aisle)
- 1 mince garlic clove
- a splash of olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) of red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp of dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix together two drained cans of black eyed peas, half of a green bell pepper diced, one roasted and marinated red bell pepper diced, one quarter of a red onion finely chopped, half a cup of sweet and spicy peppers (find these in the pickle aisle), and one mince garlic clove.
- Next mix in a splash of olive oil and a quarter cup of red wine vinegar, and a tbsp of dijon mustard.
- Finally, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir together and let chill for at least thirty minutes in the fridge.
Notes
- You can serve this awesome dip alone with tortilla chips or add in some avocado chunks and you have a full lunch.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 130
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this called caviar when there are no fish eggs in it?
It is a Southern nickname, nothing more. When a friend brought it to me after my son was born, I had the same reaction you probably have right now because I remembered eating actual fish eggs in Mississippi as a teenager and hating every second. This version is just black-eyed peas, peppers, onion, and a vinegar dressing. The name is regional flavor, not a description of the ingredients. 
Where do I find the sweet and spicy peppers?
Check the pickle aisle at the grocery store. They come jarred, already pickled, and you just dice them and add half a cup straight from the jar.
Why let it chill for 30 minutes before serving?
The dressing is a quarter cup of red wine vinegar, a splash of olive oil, and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Thirty minutes in the fridge gives those flavors time to absorb into the black-eyed peas and peppers so everything tastes like one cohesive thing instead of a bowl of separate ingredients with dressing sitting on top.
How do I turn this into a full lunch?
Add avocado chunks just before serving. That is all it takes to go from a dip with tortilla chips to a satisfying meal.
