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Tangy poppy seed dressing is easy to make and adds a delicious pop of flavor to all of your favorite summer salads.
I really love a good poppy seed dressing.
Look, I know it’s not a “cool” salad dressing like green goddess dressing. Poppy seed dressing belongs on an old-school steakhouse menu, probably right next to the ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing on the salad bar.
But maybe that’s why I like it so much. It’s an old-fashioned classic, but it’s still absolutely delicious. And it’s super easy to make, so you will never need to buy a bottle of it again!
How to make poppy seed salad dressing
In my opinion, a great poppy seed dressing is sweet and tangy and has a creamy texture, but doesn’t include any mayonnaise or dairy.
That means that this recipe is perfect for anyone who needs a vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free salad dressing.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my poppy seed dressing, you will need:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely minced sweet onion
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
The sweetness in this recipe comes from granulated sugar. But don’t worry; the texture of the dressing won’t be grainy, I promise!
I also like using a combination of white wine vinegar and cider vinegar in my dressing. They both make the dressing tangy, but bring slightly different flavors to the party.
Two important ingredients that really round out the flavor of this dressing are the sweet onion and the dijon mustard. The mustard also helps the dressing emulsify, so it doesn’t separate as quickly.
I recommend using a neutral oil in this recipe so that it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. So put away your fancy olive oils and grab your vegetable oil. Avocado oil would also work great.
Making this dressing
I prefer to make my poppy seed dressing in a blender to make it super smooth (aside from the poppy seeds, of course!).
Add the sugar, vinegars, onion, mustard, and salt to the blender. Cover and blend this mixture until it is smooth.
With the blender running on low speed, slowly stream in the oil. The lid if your blender will have an insert in the lid that you can remove that will let you pour the oil in while the blender is running.
When all of the oil has been added, stop the blender and taste the dressing. Add more salt if you think it needs it.
Stir in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate for later or serve immediately.
Serving suggestions
Poppy seed dressing is great on just about any green salad you like. But it pairs especially well with salads made with spinach or fruits.
I love serving it with strawberry salad with spinach and arugula. It would also go great with nutty spinach and quinoa salad or kale salad with cranberries.
Frequently asked questions
Store this dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. It will separate after a while, but give it a really good shake and it will come back together again.
I think using a blender is the easiest way to emulsify the ingredients in this poppy seed dressing, but you can still make this recipe even without a blender.
If you want to make it by hand, I recommend grating the onion instead of mincing it. Whisk together the ingredients (except for the oil and poppy seeds) really well, then slowly stream in the oil while whisking vigorously.
The slower you add the oil to start, the better the dressing will come together. As it starts to come together, you can increase how fast you pour in the oil.
Stir in the poppy seeds and your dressing is ready to go.
I don’t recommend using olive oil (and especially not your fancy extra-virgin olive oil) in this dressing because the flavor of the oil throws off the flavor of the dressing.
If you don’t want to use vegetable oil, try using another neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil.
Poppy Seed Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely minced sweet onion
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- In a blender, add the sugar, vinegars, onion, mustard, and salt. Cover and blend until smooth.
- With the blender on low, slowly stream in the oil. When all of the oil has been added, stop and taste the dressing, adding more salt if necessary.
- Stir in the poppy seeds. Serve on strawberry salad or your favorite green salad.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
