Fabulous Four Bean Salad

Full of bright colors, tang and texture, this bean salad is sure to be a hit at your next get-together. This salad requires a little time to hang out at the vinegar dressing dance party (aka: in your fridge), but if you know your way around a can opener, you throw the salad together in about 5 minutes. Why on earth would you buy the giant jug of this stuff at the store when making it yourself is so incredibly easy and delicious! Bonus, you won’t be eating a bowl of something that’s been salted and pickled beyond recognition.

The trickiest part of this salad is finding the wax beans. You’ll find the chickpeas and kidney beans with the chili, northern beans and navy beans – in the bean aisle. But the wax beans and green beans will be together hanging out with their friends in the canned vegetable aisle. I don’t want to admit how long I spent scouring for yellow wax beans among the jalapeno pinto beans. Sigh. Does anyone else think “beans” no longer looks like a word?

Fabulous Four Bean Salad
adapted from Food.com

1 can chickpeas
1 can green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 red bell pepper (any colour can be used)
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

DRESSING

2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Drain a can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinse well, then drain again; place in a large mixing bowl.
Drain a can of green beans and a can of wax beans well and then add to bowl.
Drain a can of red kidney beans, rinse well then drain again; add to bowl.
Dice up a colored bell pepper and add to beans.
Peel a small red onion and slice into very thin strips and add to bowl.
Lastly, add about 1/2 cup of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
Now make dressing: in a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegars, oil, sugar (I use a scant 1/3 cup), minced fresh garlic, worcestershire, and salt and pepper.
Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally (before serving, taste, as it may need more salt or pepper to taste).
When ready, spoon bean salad into a serving bowl using a slotted spoon, to drain off most of the dressing before serving.