Creamy poppy seed dressing is one of those springtime flavors that I look forward to coming out of winter. As everything thaws and spring salads come back on the menu, I just want to drench everything in poppyseed dressing as I start cooking spring flavors.
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How Creamy is This Dressing?
This dressing uses mayonnaise and milk to make the creamy base, with a bonus ingredient to keep the emulsion together and thicken the whole thing. Salad dressing isn’t super appealing if it is the same consistency as milk… Only crazy people want milk on their salad… The resulting dressing is super thick and sticks to everything, kinda like ranch and that’s absolutely how it should be. This dressing would go great on our Improve Imo’s Salad, as an alternative to STL style Italian dressing.
What’s The Best Way to Make Poppy Seed Dressing?
The best way to make poppy seed dressing, or any salad dressing for that matter, is in a mason jar. Proper mason jars have 1/4 cup markings on the side which makes it super easy to quickly combine liquids accurately. Then add the rest of the ingredients and shake it to oblivion. This eliminates the need for using multiple measuring cups and stirring devices, cutting down on the clean-up.
What ingredients are in Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing?
- Mayonnaise: Thick, sticky, and full of fat. This makes up the base of the creamy dressing and gives it the heft needed to call it dressing and not soup.
- Milk: Milk thins the mayonnaise and masks the mayo flavor in the final dressing. I suggest 2% or whole milk for a creamier final product.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This vinegar is a bit sweeter than most, and adds to the sweetness slightly along with the expected acidic tang.
- Poppy Seeds: To my knowledge, these seeds add little in the way of flavor. They may only be added to give it a name that isn’t “Sweet and Creamy White Dressing”
- Sugar, Mustard Powder: Adding sweet with the sugar and then balancing it with the mustard, goes a long way to balance all the flavors in the dressing.
- Chia Seeds: These are my secret ingredient to a thicker dressing. The chia seeds blend in perfectly with the poppy seeds, but they absorb so much of the excess liquid that they thicken the dressing a lot. As an added bonus, they keep everything in the emulsion so there is no separation of ingredients, even after a week! Chia seeds are also a great source of fiber and omega-3’s, beefing up the nutrition a bit!
Thick & Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Equipment
- Mason Jar with Lid
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Milk 2% or Whole
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Cup White Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
- ½ Tsp Mustard Powder
- 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the Mayonnaise, Milk, and AC Vinegar using the markings on the side of the mason jar to measure.¾ Cup Mayonnaise, ¼ Cup Milk, ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Add the remaining ingredients and put the lid on the mason jar. Shake for 2 minutes to mix everything thoroughly.¼ Cup White Sugar, 2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds, ½ Tsp Mustard Powder, 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds, 1 pinch sea salt
- Refridgerate the dressing for at least 30 minutes prior to serving, allowing the chia seeds to thicken the dressing.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Using fresh milk, this dressing should last two weeks without spoiling. The vinegar in the dressing should slow the growth of anything, but the “Best By” Date on the milk used to create the dressing should be written on the jar to ensure you don’t go past that. If it smells funny, tastes funny, or has stuff visibly growing in the jar, toss the rest and start fresh.
Kind of like mayonnaise, you cannot freeze poppy seed dressing. The emulsion breaks down and it will become a watery mess once thawed.
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