Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

This poppy seed dressing with a citrus flair is perfect for any spinach or fruit salad!

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

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A healthy and refreshing dressing that works perfectly with any salad recipe, and only takes a few ingredients to enhance the flavor of any salad! I love adding this to my Winter Citrus Salad.

Small bowl of orange poppyseed dressing.

There is nothing like wanting to make a healthy choice for lunch or dinner by choosing a salad, only to find yourself unable to stand it because all you taste is kale and lettuce! If you’re looking for an easy way to make a truly delicious one-of-a-kind salad you’ll want seconds of, this dressing is the one you’ve got to try!

Why You’ll Love Our Recipe

It’s a great healthy low-calorie salad dressing.
It’s creamy and can be made so easily!
It’s perfect for any light and fresh salad recipe.

Ingredients

medium fresh orange – I like to use navel oranges
sherry vinegar or cider vinegar
sugar
Dijon-style mustard
ground black pepper
vegetable oil
poppy seeds

This is meant to be a brief overview of the homemade poppyseed dressing recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.

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Storage

Orange Poppy Seed Dressing stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container, such as a mason jar. I almost always store my Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette and Avocado Ranch Dressing in mason jars.

Ang’s Recipe Tips

Before cutting the orange in half, roll it on the countertop or cutting board, pushing it down slightly. This will help you get more juice out of the orange.
Normally, oil doesn’t mix well with juices or vinegar, so you’ll need to create an emulsion. Drizzle the oil into the bowl while whisking quickly to emulsify the dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this Orange Salad Dressing recipe.

What is poppy seed dressing made with?

This dressing is made with orange, sherry vinegar, sugar, dijon-style, black pepper, vegetable oil, and poppy seeds.

Are poppy seeds bad for you?

Poppy seeds are safe to eat when taken in amounts commonly found in food.

What is a substitute for poppy seed?

Instead of poppy seeds, use toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds.

What is the difference between white poppy seeds and black poppy seeds?

Both come from the poppy plant, of course, but the white poppy seeds have a more mild flavor than the black.

Variations

We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results because that is how the recipe has been tested.

However, the next time you make our orange poppy seed dressing recipe, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.

For a slightly sweeter dressing, whisk in 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup.
If you do not have sherry vinegar or cider vinegar on hand, you can use white vinegar.
Substitute olive oil for vegetable oil but be aware that it has a stronger flavor. A milder oil such as canola or soybean oil will allow the orange and poppy seed flavors to shine through more.
Add a small shallot or minced fresh garlic clove for a more savory flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This salad dressing would taste delicious on any number of salads, but my personal choices would be this Mandarin orange chicken salad, or spinach salad with strawberries and thinly sliced red onion.

It’s not just for a leafy green salad, either. You can also use it on this delicious wild rice salad, pasta salad, or strawberry fruit salad.

Similar Recipes

Next time, try one of these tasty recipes:

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is so easy and full of flavor, and it’s healthy too.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette is a flavorful and fun dressing that is festive and tasty too.
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing is perfect for Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad but great for marinades, dips, and our one-pan Chicken Caesar Pasta.
For a dressing with a kick, try our Homemade Southwest Salad Dressing.

Not ready to make your own orange poppyseed dressing yet?

Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later! When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!