Creamy poppy seed dressing

A cool and creamy salad dressing with poppy seeds that goes perfectly with big spring and summer time salads. 

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During the spring and summer, I love to make large salads for dinner sometimes. I almost always use store bought salad dressings, but occasionally I like to make a homemade version. 

Poppy seed dressing is a favorite of mine and since I usually have poppy seeds in the spice cabinet, so it's a salad dressing that I find pretty easy to make at home.

Poppy seed dressing goes very well with all kinds of lettuces, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and more. It also happens to pair well with fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. So this is a dressing I like to use in a salad that contains fruit. 

Poppy seed dressing has a touch of sweetness, a touch of vinegar, and then the creamy base made with mayonnaise, milk, and sour cream. 

For the salad in these photos, we used romaine, baby spinach, thinly sliced red onion, sliced cooked chicken, feta, and almonds. Then it was topped with this creamy poppy seed dressing. 

When I make a big dinner salad, I like to include a protein like cooked chicken, chopped hard boiled egg, or chick peas. 

Nuts are also a nice addition such as toasted walnuts, almonds, and pecans. This helps to make salads more filling, and gives them different textures.

This recipe makes a relatively small batch of dressing. It's enough for about 4 people to have a dinner salad, but not really enough to store. You can double the recipe and store it in the refrigerator, but it should be used within a few days.

Give this creamy poppy seed dressing a try this summer when you are making a big dinner salad. It's perfect for those fresh garden greens that you may have, or when you are using up some salad greens from your CSA box.

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Author: Amy (Savory Moments)

Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

A cool and creamy salad dressing with poppy seeds that goes perfectly with big spring and summer time salads.

Ingredients

• scant 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• good pinch of salt, to taste
• a few grinds of black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients until well-combined. Add a bit more milk if it is too thick.
2. Serve immediately over your favorite salad or cover and refrigerate until needed. It will keep in the fridge for several days.

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I hope you give this creamy poppy seed dressing a try! Let me know in the comments below.

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This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2024 with a recipe card, new text, and more to improve reader experience.

Check out these other salad and salad dressing recipes: 

How to Make Greek Dressing

Green Bean & Red Potato Salad

Thai Basil Cucumber Salad

Kohlrabi & Radish Slaw