While bringing a large pot of salted water to boil for the orzo, prepare all your vegetables: dice the bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the cucumber, finely dice the onion, chop the spinach into 1/2-inch ribbons, chop the parsley, and mince the garlic. Slice the olives if using whole ones. Once the water is boiling, add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes to achieve an al dente texture. Drain the orzo and rinse it under cool water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch—this prevents the salad from becoming gummy. Set aside to cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Let the vinaigrette sit for a moment to allow the flavors to meld. I like to add the garlic to the vinaigrette rather than mixing it directly into the salad—this way it infuses the dressing evenly and prevents any harsh raw garlic bites in certain forkfuls.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled orzo from Step 1 with the chopped spinach, diced bell pepper, diced cucumber, diced onion, and both the green and black olives. Crumble about half of the feta cheese by hand directly into the bowl—I prefer hand-crumbling over cutting because it creates irregular, rustic pieces that distribute better throughout the salad. Pour the vinaigrette from Step 2 over the entire mixture and toss well to coat everything evenly.

Add the chopped parsley from Step 1 and toss once more to incorporate. Top the salad with the remaining crumbled feta cheese. Let the salad rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving—this allows the flavors to meld and the orzo to absorb the dressing. The salad tastes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator, making it perfect for meal prep or bringing to gatherings.