Poppy Seed Dressing is sweet and tangy, made with olive oil, vinegar, spices, sugar, and poppy seeds with a splash of orange juice. It’s the perfect dressing for summer salads, and goes great with strawberries!

I like making my own salad dressing, because they’re really easy to throw together and you can make as much as you want! Check out my Orange Strawberry Salad Dressing, Greek Salad Dressing, and Homemade Ranch Seasoning Blend.

Side view of mason jar full of poppy seed dressing with spoon and strawberry salad in the background

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

Here’s another quick and easy salad dressing that goes great with most salads, and is one of my favorite dressings. A lot of people will serve poppy seed dressing with a strawberry and spinach salad, but I use it more often with a chopped salad or romaine, chicken, and goat cheese. You can also add a splash of lemon juice or honey to change up the flavor. The only thing I don’t recommend changing is the granulated sugar, because that balances out the bitterness from the other ingredients and creates a really nice balance of sweet and tangy.

What flavors go well with poppy seeds?

Poppyseed dressing goes really well with salads that have fruits and nuts, and is a really popular dressing to use with a strawberry spinach salad. Here are a few of my favorite flavors that can be used in a lot of different combinations over spinach, kale, or romaine. You can also drizzle this over a regular fruit salad. One of my favorite parts of homemade salad is that you can get creative!

  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Oranges
  • Walnuts
  • Almonds
  • Goat cheese
  • Chopped brussels sprouts
  • Craisins
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Cherry tomatoes

How to store poppy seed dressing

Poppyseed dessing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can buy bottles specific for salad dressing, but I’ve used a regular glass tupperware before. Or a mason jar, which is probably the easiest option, depending on how much you plan to make.

Poppy seed dressing drizzled from mason jar onto strawberry salad

How long will the dressing last?

This dressing will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Shake well before using, because the oil and vinegar will separate and the other ingredients will sit in the middle. That is normal, just shake it before using.

How to make creamy dressing

If you want to make a creamy poppyseed dressing, just leave out the oil entirely and instead use 1 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of milk. You can add more milk to get to your desired consistency. Whisk it together or blend it in a food processor, then store it in the refrigerator.

Tips for This Recipe

  • If you don’t have ground mustard, you can use a teaspoon of dijon mustard. The dry mustard is easier in a pinch but the regular mustard will help your salad dressing have a slower separation while you’re using it. This is a good tip for most homemade salad dressing recipes.
  • I like red wine vinegar but you can also use white vinegar or white wine vinegar if that’s what you have on hand. You can also swap out the light olive oil for extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil if that’s what you have on hand.
  • I just use a whisk but you can also use a blender if you want to store it in a blender cup for example.
  • You can add more or less sugar, depending on how much sweetness you like. You can also add a few tablespoons of honey in place of the sugar, but the white sugar will add more sweetness overall.
Side view of mason jar full of poppy seed dressing with spoon and strawberry salad in the background

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

Poppy Seed Dressing is sweet and tangy, made with olive oil, vinegar, spices, sugar, and poppy seeds with a splash of orange juice. It's the perfect dressing for summer salads, and goes great with strawberries!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Review
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: dressing
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 14 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3/4 cup light olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp dried mustard
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Equipment

  • Whisk
  • Bowl

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Shake or stir well before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Sodium: 43mg (2%)Potassium: 16mgFiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 7mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
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