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Sunshine yellow and black-spotted poppyseed salad dressing is a summer salad blessing. It’s a classic vinaigrette recipe with a chic dotty twist: poppyseeds! Shake up tangy, not tart, cider vinegar; mild mustard; fruity olive oil; sweet maple syrup and poppyseeds for a versatile dressing that flatters every salad.

If you’re camp creamy, rather than oily when it comes to dressing, Green Goddess is for you. Or try my vegan version tahini Green Goddess: no cream, no mayo, no anchovies, but just as deliciously cool and (faux) creamy.

Top down shot of a spoon scooping poppyseed salad dressing out of a glass jar

While the Great British summer is taking its sweet time to arrive, I am stocking my recipe arsenal with salads and salad dressings. If I will it, will it come?? I’m desperate for some al fresco dining at my new garden furniture!

Easy salad dressing recipe

Vinaigrette is the simplest of all salad dressings. It’s essentially acid: think citrus juice or vinegar, and fat: that’s oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper, all given an almighty shake together. That. Is. It.

But there are myriad recipes out there that use different flavours and aromatics to balance and harmonise with the dressed ingredients. As well as various oils and vinegars, common vinaigrette flavourings include: onion, garlic, herbs, chillies, anchovies, and soy.

In this recipe, I’ve used This is an affiliate link.Dijon mustard. Mustard helps to bind the oil and vinegar together. I went for Dijon over wholegrain to maintain the bright wildflower yellow.

I like the rich toffee tones of This is an affiliate link.maple syrup, especially in contrast with sharp mustard, but other recipes might use brown sugar, agave syrup or honey.

And finally, poppyseeds! I’m in love with the texture they add to everything but also, doesn’t this jar look pretty?

Recipe Tips and Notes

The golden ratio when it comes to vinaigrette is 1 part acid, 3 parts fat. Having said that, you can tinker with it to meet your own taste.
I love This is an affiliate link.extra virgin olive oil. It’s fruity and herbal and takes me back to Greece! If you have other oils to hand, you can certainly use vegetable oil or cold pressed rapeseed oil (canola (USA)) for example. All these come under ‘fat’.
My acid component is apple cider vinegar. It’s less abrasive than some other vinegars and has aromatic apple notes. You can substitute for what you have; white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or just plain lemon juice.
I like a touch of sweetness to a vinaigrette recipe and use maple syrup. Some recipes call for honey. I find the former has a more mellow sweetness, caramel and vanilla, while the later is more floral. I would never substitute it, but sometimes needs must.
Add salt to taste. I start with a small pinch and adjust as I go.
Nuts and seeds can lose their integrity quickly. And they’re not that cheap! So, I store mine in the freezer. Didn’t see that coming, did you?!
Due to the olive oil, this dressing will solidify when cold so if you’re storing it in the fridge make sure you remove it 30 minutes before using it. A little warmth will revive it to its liquid gold form.

Top down shot of a jar of poppyseed salad dressing next to radish and cucumber slices and half an avocado

Serving suggestions

Hmm… what could go with poppyseed salad dressing? I know! Salad! This vibrant vinaigrette needs an equally colourful partner, here are my five favourite sartorial salads to pair with this dressing:

Garden salad- a simple side salad that is more than just green.
Tomato salad with feta- or without. Swap the recipe’s lemon and garlic vinaigrette for this less acidic and milder one.
Healthy Italian-style tuna salad- if anchovy and capers are a stretch too salty when it comes to dressing, this is an ideal alternative.
Watercress and roast beef salad- switch the yoghurt and horseradish sauce if you find it too fiery for this vegan-friendly vinaigrette.
Spring pea and arugula salad- boiled egg in salad with a mustard dressing is an absolute dream! What’s more it’s a good substitute for the dill dressing in this recipe if you’re not a dill fan or you’re non-dairy.

There’s no need to stop at salad though! This sweet and savoury salad sauce tastes supreme over roast or grilled chicken like souvlaki or spatchcock, or new potatoes if you’ve run out of butter, or roasted vegetables like radishes and asparagus.

Storage and leftovers

Store-bought salad dressing could probably outlast the warranty on your fridge, but this preservative-free, homemade version will keep for up to a week max.