Zest the lemon directly into a large mixing bowl, then juice it into the same bowl. Add the minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk everything together until the honey and mustard are fully dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing—this creates a cohesive, creamy vinaigrette rather than a separated one. Finally, add the white wine vinegar and whisk once more. I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasoning; sometimes I add an extra pinch of salt if it needs more brightness.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the orzo, cooking for 7-9 minutes until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). While the orzo cooks, rinse and drain the cannellini beans in a colander, and prepare all your vegetables: halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber into roughly 1/2-inch pieces, thinly slice the red onion, and chop your fresh herbs. When the orzo is ready, drain it thoroughly and let it cool slightly for a minute or two—this prevents the pasta from becoming mushy when combined with the dressing.

Add the thinly sliced red onion to the bowl with your prepared vinaigrette and let it sit for 2-3 minutes—this softens the raw bite of the onion and infuses it with the dressing flavor. Then add the warm orzo, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, crumbled feta, and fresh herbs to the bowl with the marinated onion and dressing. Toss everything gently but thoroughly, making sure the dressing coats all the ingredients evenly. I find that tossing while the orzo is still slightly warm helps it absorb the flavors better.

Add the roughly chopped baby spinach and Kalamata olives to the salad and toss gently to combine—the warmth from the orzo will slightly wilt the spinach, softening it while keeping some texture. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed. Let the salad rest for 5-10 minutes before serving so all the flavors can meld together.