Amazingly Crisp Bean Salad

Spring is in the air and it's time to light up the bbq! This bean salad is easy, delicious, wonderfully colorful and the perfect partner for anything that comes off the grill. Most bean salads are too sweet for me but this recipe has just the right amount of sugar so that the sweetness doesn't overwhelm and the crunch is refreshing....this is not a mushy salad. You can use any kind of beans that you want: white beans, black eyed beans, navy beans etc., and you can substitute red onion for sweet onion.

You'll need:

For the marianade:

1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Mix ingredients together in a small saucepan, give it a quick stir and bring to a just a boil. Remove from heat immediately and let cool completely.

For the salad:

1 can of dark red kidney beans (drained and do not rinse)

1 can of black beans (drained and do not rinse)

1 can of garbonzo beans (drained and do not rinse)

1 can whole kernel corn (drained)

2 cans of french style green beans (drained)

2 or more cups of chopped celery. I like a lot of crunch so I use a lot.

1 medium to large chopped sweet onion. again, I like sweet onions so I tend to put a lot in.

Put ingredients into large bowl, add the cooled marinade and stir to mix. Cover and refriderate for several hours, until chilled, stirring every half hour or so.

Enjoy!