Poppy Seed Salad Dressing is a sweet and tangy delight for your spring and summer salads. Zippy notes of cider vinegar and sweet hints of onion create a light creamy base punctuated by a poppy seed crunch. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect to brighten up fresh greens and seasonal fruit.
Add pizzazz to your summer salads with a creamy homemade poppy seed dressing! It packs a tasty punch with tangy notes of cider vinegar as sweet hints of onion tango across your tongue. It’s a brilliant juxtaposition of texture and flavor with a bright and light creamy base culminated by a poppy seed crunch.
This recipe is similar to Brianna’s Rich Poppyseed dressing, but with less sugar. In my humble opinion, homemade salad dressing is simply unmatched. It’s free of any unwanted extras. And it’s simple to whip up fresh versions of your favorites like Poppyseed Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette and Greek Vinaigrette with everyday kitchen staples.
Drizzle this yumminess over a fresh Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Grilled Peach Salad or get creative with your favorite seasonal ingredients. Mix this into a traditional fruit salad to add a bit of zip. No matter how you decide to serve it, it’s sure to be a hit!
What You Will Need
It’s as easy as whisking the ingredients together and letting it sit for a few. Here is an overview of what you will need and what I use to make the salad dressing.
Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Poppy Seeds
- Granulated Sugar
- Onion Powder
- Ground Mustard
- Milk (any percentage or dairy alternative)
- Salt & Pepper
This is a creamy but light and tangy dressing. If you would like more of a vinaigrette, substitute the mayo for a light tasting oil or light olive oil, and exclude the milk.
Poppyseed Dressing is fairly sweet, so a little can go a long way. I like to toss a bit in the salad itself and then serve the remainder on the side so that your family or guests may add more as they wish. Give the dressing a vigorous stir/shake before serving.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
Serve: The beauty of homemade poppyseed dressing is you can adjust it a little for lots of things. Serve over a salad and pair with Chicken salad on a Croissant, paninis, Chicken Meatball Soup, or Chicken and Wild Rice Soup for a healthy lunch or yummy dinner. You can also use it as a marinade for grilled chicken – I leave out the milk when I do this.
Storage: The salad dressing will be good in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or 3 weeks if you skip the milk ingredient. Refrigerate after opening and shake well before serving. I like to store it in a mason jar with a lid.
Make Ahead Tips: If you want to get a head start on your prep for this recipe, make some extra chicken the night before and pack up your fruits together. That way you can grab everything you need from the fridge and whip up this salad!
Delectable Salad Dressings and Marinades
If you like making easy salad dressings and marinades, try one of my other delicious recipes:
- Homemade White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- How To Infuse Olive Oil
- Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
- Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade
- Teriyaki Marinade
Frequently Asked Questions
The dressing lasts about 1 week, depending on the age of the milk you used. If you do not use milk, it can last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
There is milk in this mix for creaminess. However, you can skip the milk and the dressing will be dairy free.
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Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup Mayonnaise I use regular, but you could use light if you prefer.
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Poppyseeds
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Whisk together salad dressing ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- The dressing blends and gets sweeter over time but can be used immediately.
- Drizzle dressing as desired just before serving or serve on the side and allow guests to add their own.
Greg says
So yummy. now is the family favorite.
Brett says
This is an amazing recipe. It’s now a staple in my house!!!
Ann says
Love this dressing! Super easy!
Julian says
Th is recipe is yummy. My husband is so fussy, and he loved it.
Marc says
Love this fast and easy
Jess says
I’m going to modify the recipe to make it Keto friendly.
Alan says
added splash of turmeric and paprika
Connie says
This dressing was very good!
Jenny says
I lost my old recipe for this, but this one was even better than my last one!!