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Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

5 from 1 vote
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posted: 06/02/19

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

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 sour. Add it to all your summer salads!

vinaigrette bottle surrounded by cut lemons, fresh raspberries and blueberries and filled with lemon poppy seed salad dressing

On Friday this week we had a day that felt like SUMMER! I took Piper to the park with some of her school friends and they ate snow cones, took off their socks, and ran like wild children. I went for a run in the super hot temperatures, but I didn’t even care that my skin melted into the pavement because it just felt so good to be outside. And now, more than ever before, I want to create ALL the summer recipes. If this Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing says anything to you, it definitely says: SUMMER!

THE PERFECT EASY SALAD DRESSING FOR SUMMER SALADS

This lemon salad dressing is so light, sweet, and delicious that it is really great on summer salads that are filled with berries and summer goodness. It’s also perfect because I bet you already have most (if not all) of the ingredients for it in your pantry. It is perfect to keep on hand all summer to dress up those lunch salads.

overhead view of a mason jar filled with lemon salad dressing

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING

  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • sugar
  • salt
  • ground mustard
  • poppy seeds

THE BALANCE OF SWEET AND ACID

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 tomatoes.

We have the same issue with this recipe. So this is what I suggest:

  1. start with 1/3 cup lemon juice
  2. add up to 1/2 cup, only adding 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have the lemon flavor that you want
  3. if you get the lemon flavor you want, but it is too acidic, too sour, add some honey to balance things out

teaspoon dripping out a small amount of lemon poppy seed dressing back into a mason jar

HOW LONG WILL THIS KEEP

Another thing I love about this salad dressing recipe is that it has ingredients that will keep for 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.

MAKING IT CREAMY

You can make this a creamy lemon 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 a 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, you can’t keep it in your refrigerator for more than a week

woman pouring lemon vinaigrette salad dressing over a summer salad recipe

OTHER GREAT SALAD DRESSING RECIPES

vinaigrette bottle surrounded by cut lemons, fresh raspberries and blueberries and filled with lemon poppy seed salad dressing

vinaigrette bottle surrounded by cut lemons, fresh raspberries and blueberries and filled with lemon poppy seed salad dressing
5 from 1 vote

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Serves: 16
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
his 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 sour. Add it to all your summer salads!

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice see note
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (or just a pinch)
  • 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.
  • Stir poppy seeds into the dressing.

Notes

The balance of sweet and acid in this salad dressing is really important. Start with 1/3 cup lemon juice. If it doesn't taste enough like lemon to you add a little more, about a teaspoon at a time.  If you go too far, add a tablespoon of honey to counter balance it.
See notes in the post for additional help.
Nutritional information is based 1 tablespoon and the addition of honey to the recipe.
Serving: 1tablespoon Calories: 100kcal (5%) Carbohydrates: 5g (2%) Fat: 9g (14%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Sodium: 19mg (1%) Potassium: 11mg Sugar: 4g (4%) Vitamin C: 2.5mg (3%) Calcium: 10mg (1%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
vinaigrette bottle surrounded by cut lemons, fresh raspberries and blueberries and filled with lemon poppy seed salad dressing

did you make this

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

I'd love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

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vinaigrette bottle surrounded by cut lemons, fresh raspberries and blueberries and filled with lemon poppy seed salad dressing

collage of photos of lemon poppy seed dressing

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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