Give your salads a boost with this vibrant and flavorful Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing. A super quick and easy dressing that will make you eat salads all day every day!

Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing in a small glass jar.

This dressing is so lemony and delicious but the consistency can be a bit runny because of the large amount of lemon juice. For a creamier version just use half of the juice. You can save the rest of the lemon juice and use it to make a tasty chicken dinner, or cook this 15-minute Lemon Garlic Shrimp to go with your salad. You can also make yourself a glass of refreshing Lemon Infused Water.

The poppy seeds will not only make your lemon dressing visually attractive but will give you a bit of a crunch when you eat it. You can also try my Easy Healthy Coleslaw that uses poppy and other delicious seeds.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing laid out on a kitchen counter.

Olive Oil – lemon juice and olive oil go really well together and create a nice dressing consistency, but you can use any other oil if you need to.
Dijon Mustard – my preferred choice for salad dressings is always Dijon, but it can be replaced by any other mustard.
Honey – it has the right amount of sweetness and flavor. Agave syrup or even white sugar can be used if you run out of honey. I don’t recommend using maple syrup or date syrup because they have a strong flavor.
Lemon – use a fresh lemon. Avoid using lime or bottled lemon juice, it will change the taste of the dressing too much and won’t be as good.
Poppy Seeds – the star of this dressing! You’ve got to have them.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Place all the ingredients in a sealable jar and add sea salt to taste. Shake vigorously for a few seconds until well combined. Pour over salad just before serving and enjoy!