Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing - fresh, sweet & tangy! (2024)

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Salad Dressing

After a trip to the strawberry patch or when you see the store shelves and farmers’ market overflowing with fresh berries, it’s easy to end up with an abundance. After you’ve made Strawberry Crumble and Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Cake and Strawberry Shortcake, you might still have some more to use up. So it’s time to make strawberry poppyseed dressing! It’s so fresh and summery that you are going to love it. Here’s why…

• So quick and easy. All you have to do if toss everything in a blender, puree, and then stir the poppyseed into the strawberry salad dressing.
• Perfect consistency. Blending this dressing not only breaks down the strawberries into a puree, but also emulsifies the oil and vinegar to keep it from separating. This gives you a vinaigrette that is actually smooth and somewhat creamy even without any dairy ingredients like yogurt.
• Great flavor. The sweet, fruity dressing is balanced by the zing of fresh lime juice to really brighten it up. It adds delicious sweet and tangy flavor to your salads, from a simple side salad of arugula or spinach and goat cheese to a heartier salad topped with chicken or shrimp that you can enjoy as a meal.

How to Make Strawberry Salad Dressing

It really couldn’t be any easier. I’ll go over it here, but it’s also in the recipe card along with the ingredient amounts further down.

• Blend the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender or mini food processor, and puree till smooth and emulsified.

• Add the poppy seeds. Transfer the salad dressing to a jar or bowl and stir in poppy seeds. Then enjoy it on your favorite salads!

Salads to Serve With Strawberry Dressing.

This vinaigrette is perfect to blend together and pair with so many light, summery salads. Try these ideas:

• Go classic. A traditional pairing with poppyseed dressing is spinach, like this Strawberry Spinach Salad, but you can also go with more crunch like Strawberry Wedge Salad.
• Showcase summer fruit. This Summer Grilled Shrimp Salad makes a great meal and Blackberry Mango Salad with Goat Cheese is a lovely light side dish.
• Serve with dinner. This strawberry salad dressing complements Strawberry Balsamic Salmon whether you serve it over salad or rice, and it would be good on a side salad paired with some Black and Blue Steaks.

Dressing Recipe Variations

This strawberry poppyseed dressing recipe is so versatile that you can easily change it up with whatever flavors you love or ingredients you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

• Switch the berries.You can make a delicious and gorgeous dressing with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a combination.
• Try a different citrus. Pair it with lemon or orange juice for a different zippy flavor.
• Add some herbs. Try a bit of fresh mint or basil.
• Swap the sweetener. Maple syrup or agave makes it vegan-friendly and adds a slightly different flavor.
• Infuse some superfoods. Try using chia seeds instead of the poppy seeds.
• Make it creamy. While it does emulsify well, you can stir in some plain Greek yogurt if you want a richer texture.

Proper Storage

You can store this strawberry poppy seed dressing in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. While it won’t completely separate, you might want to give it a quick stir or shake before serving to make sure it is hom*ogeneous.

Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.