While summer lasts a little longer in DFW than most places, I thought I’d christen this salad “the end of summer” to help manifest those cooler temps.

I’m not sure if the moniker actually helped, but this salad was a big hit at book club nonetheless. The base of the dish is Israeli pearl couscous that I like to cook in chicken stock rather than water for more flavor. While the couscous is warm, I dress it with my favorite lemon vinaigrette so it can absorb all the  citrus-y goodness.

Then I grilled summer zucchini, Japanese eggplant, and colorful bell peppers for more flavor and a bit of char and set them aside. I pickled onions early and added those for an acidic pop and because I love feta, I cubed some as well. Mint and parsley were the final flourish.

The great thing about this salad is it’s totally adaptable to your taste. Not crazy about the veggies I chose, sub your favorites in. Want to skip the dairy? Goodbye, feta cheese. Have something leftover in your fridge that would be good in here? Invite it to the party. The more colorful the ingredients, the better the salad in my opinion.

What’s your favorite end of summer dish?