Homemade poppy seed salad dressing is bright and delicious, with the perfect balance of sweet honey and tangy vinegar. It’s a healthy choice to drizzle over a strawberry spinach salad or fresh leafy greens, as a base for coleslaw or pasta salads, or to marinate chicken for the grill.
Right in line with a series of our favorite homemade salad dressings like lemon vinaigrette and homemade honey mustard, this poppy seed salad dressing focuses on simple ingredients and exceptional flavor.
Built on the punch of white wine vinegar and the sweet notes of honey, this delicious dressing is perfectly sweet and savory. It’s sweet enough that the kids enjoy it, and tangy enough to make it pop.
While I added homemade mayo for a creamy dressing, feel free to leave it out for a simple vinaigrette if you prefer. The flavor of olive oil mixed with vinegar, honey, and mustard is topped off with the pleasant crunch and subtle nutty flavor of poppy seeds.
During salad season, green salads are the obvious choice for this tangy dressing. But year-round, you’ll find it to be an easy way to elevate the flavors of slaws and fruit salads, pasta salads, and sourdough tortilla wraps.
Use it as a marinade for moist, flavorful chicken before grilling, drizzle it over pan-seared salmon, or serve as a tasty dipping sauce for easy salmon croquettes and sourdough fried chicken.
Simply coupled with apple slices or fresh veggies, this tangy poppy seed dressing makes for a snack the whole family will enjoy.
If you’re interested in recipes to use up some more of those poppy seeds, try these sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins or top these chewy sourdough discard bagels with a homemade everything bagel seasoning.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Full of flavor – Hearty flavors like olive oil, vinegar, and mustard make this dressing potent, while the smooth taste of honey and a dash of salt give it balance and harmony.
Simple ingredients – It’s a fancy-tasting dressing made from simple, pantry staples.
Healthier choice – Homemade dressings are a great way to provide healthier options for your family. The quality of ingredients is in your control, whereas the dressings in your local grocery stores often have canola oil or vegetable oil, additives, and far too much sugar.
Ingredients
Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil provides a rich, robust flavor. For a milder version, you could easily substitute avocado oil.
White wine vinegar – White wine vinegar adds a strong tangy kick to the dressing. You could use apple cider vinegar in its place for a sweeter pop of flavor. Red wine vinegar is also a good substitute, offering a darker hue and more robust flavor.
Honey – Most recipes call for white sugar, but I prefer the natural sweetness, smooth texture, and nutritional benefits of honey.
Poppy seeds – Enough for a pleasant texture and to enjoy a little bit of the earthy, nutty flavor.
Mayo – A small amount of mayo makes for a creamy poppy seed dressing. I particularly love the fresh flavor of my homemade avocado mayo.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a glass bowl or mason jar.
Step 2: Whisk well to incorporate fully. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- If it’s too sweet, add a bit more vinegar. If it’s not sweet enough, add a little more honey.
- Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor. If you prefer less olive oil flavor, choose a neutral oil like avocado oil.
- You can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo if preferred. Homemade Greek yogurt is a delicious way to go!
- For some added zing, swap out the regular mustard for Dijon mustard.
- If blending or using an immersion blender to mix, add the poppy seeds last so they are not pulverized.
- The longer it sits, the more flavor it develops. You can certainly use it right away, but I find that it’s extra delicious if you prepare in advance.
Recipe FAQs
Keep in an airtight container and refrigerate. It should store well for a couple of weeks when stored properly.
This flavorful dressing pairs well with fresh vegetables, over fruit-based salads, on green salads, as a marinade, and even as a dipping sauce.
Poppy seed dressing is sweet from the honey, tangy from the vinegar, and pleasantly nutty from the crunchy poppy seeds. Altogether, this dressing is tangy, creamy, and deliciously sweet.
Yes, the ingredients make this dressing gluten-free. Poppy seeds are naturally gluten-free, as well.
Outside of salad dressings, poppy seeds are used in different types of baking. You’ll find poppy seeds in some recipes for muffins, cakes, pastries, and bagels. You can also top some homemade sourdough discard hamburger buns with poppy seeds for a nice crunch.
More Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Fermented Ketchup
- The Best Homemade Kimchi
- Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Fermented Hot Sauce
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon mayo
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a glass bowl or jar.
- Whisk well to incorporate fully. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Please double-check amounts when using the multiplying feature in the recipe card.
- If blending or using an immersion blender to mix the ingredients, be sure to stir in the poppy seeds at the end. Pulverized poppy seeds will become bitter due to oxidation.
- Poppy seeds will settle to the bottom, so give the dressing a good shake before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
