Three Bean Salad

This is a quick and easy bean salad recipe that came from an old contributed recipes cookbook my mother has. It keeps for a while, is simple and quick to make, and can be made ahead of time, making it a perfect dish for a party. It is also a great vegetarian dish (and it's gluten-free too).

Three Bean Salad
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can green wax beans
1 can lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
Note: All cans are approximately 14 ounces.

Put all beans in a large bowl* with onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, then mix into the beans.Store in the refrigerate. This will keep for awhile, and the longer it marinates the better it gets, so it is a great make-ahead dish.

*The recipe states not to drain the beans, but we found this made a very liquidy salad. If you want the extra juice for marinating  and serve the salad with a slotted spoon or drain it just before serving, this is fine. If you want a less-liquidy salad, drain the beans  but you may end up with less flavor.