This Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing is so easy to make, I bet you already have everything you need. This delicious salad dressing recipe is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy and works on so many salads.
Homemade salad dressings are one of my favorite things to make for you. I just love this delicious poppy seed dressing recipe. It comes together with ingredients you have in your pantry and is like adding liquid sunshine to your salads.
This dressing is so delicious. It has become a family favorite.
Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients
- Olive oil: This is the base of the dressing so you want to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is less processed and more pure than regular olive oil. It is better for you and also has a better taste, making it perfect for a salad dressing.
- Lemon juice: It’s important to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Sugar: This is an important ingredient to balance the tartness of the lemon juice. See more on this below.
- Salt: If you are worried about your salt intake, very little is used in this salad dressing so I would not skip it.
- Ground mustard
- Poppy seeds
How to Make Poppy Seed Dressing
Here is a brief overview of how this homemade salad dressing recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whisk together ingredients. Combine the olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and mustard. Whisk well until the sugar is dissolved.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Depending on how you like your dressing you may want to add more honey or lemon juice. See more on this below.
- Add the poppy seeds. Stir to combine.
Balancing The Dressing
So often in cooking, what we find ourselves in is the balance of sweet and acidic. A perfect example of this is in my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce. Originally I made it without sugar, and after having it a few times, I realized that it really needed a little granulated sugar to balance all the acid of the canned tomatoes.
We have the same issue with this recipe. So this is what I suggest:
- Start with 1/3 cup of lemon juice.
- Add up to 1/2 cup, only adding 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have the lemon flavor that you want.
- If you get the lemon flavor you want, but it is too acidic, too sour, add some honey to balance things out.
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
You can make this a creamy poppy seed dressing by adding some greek yogurt to it. Not only will it make it creamier, it will stretch it out and make more dressing. Things to keep in mind:
- Use plain greek yogurt (not vanilla).
- Start with 1/2 a cup and see how you like that flavor and consistency before adding more.
- Once you add yogurt, refrigerator for no more than a week.
FAQ
Nope! Part of the beauty of making salad dressings at home is adjusting them to your taste.
No, honey is optional and a good way to balance the dressing if it is too tart for you.
Storing Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Another thing I love about this salad dressing recipe is that it has ingredients that will keep for a quite a while in the refrigerator. After you make a batch of this, you can keep it in the refrigerator for about three months. I love that about vinaigrette dressings, and this is basically a lemon vinaigrette dressing with some poppy seeds thrown in.
Store it in the refrigerator all summer long and when you pull it out, let it come to room temperature before giving it a shake to combine it again. If you add greek yogurt as mentioned above, this salad with only last for one week in the refrigerator.
How to Use Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
This dressing is delicious with your favorite salad greens. I think you’ll also love it with my Summer Salad Recipe and Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Other Great Salad Dressing Recipes
I love making my salad dressings at home because they come together quickly and I can control what’s in them. Skip the extra preservatives and make them just the way you like them with these recipes:
If you try this lemon poppy seed salad dressing recipe or any of my other homemade salad dressings, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil (157.73 ml)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice see note (78.86 ml)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (49.5 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt if using table salt, start with half
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon honey optional
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and mustard until the sugar is completely dissolved. Taste and add more lemon until it has enough of a lemon flavor for you. Add more honey if it becomes overwhelmingly acidic.2/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- Stir poppy seeds into the dressing. Enjoy right away or store in the refrigerator for up to three months, shaking before each use.1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Notes
Susan Creasy says
This dressing is so delicious. It has become a family favorite.
I’m so glad you like it!