Bright and tangy with just a little sweetness – this oil free Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing will make your salads sing! Traditional poppy seed dressings are often loaded with oil and sugar, but this whole – food, plant-based version is creamy, light and nourishing. Plus it only takes a few minutes to make in your blender. Add a little sunshine to your next salad or nourish bowl.
Whether you’re drizzling it over a chopped salad, using it as a dip for fresh fruit, or tossing it with shredded cabbage for a quick slaw, this dressing brings sunshine to your plate.
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I love to serve this dressing over a bed of baby greens or spring mix with red onion and plenty of fresh fruit like, strawberries, blueberries, grapes and apples with a little thinly sliced red onion. Another option is chopped romaine with red or green grapes, thinly sliced red onion, a few raisins or chopped dates and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.
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Health Benefits of the Ingredients
- Lemon Juice – Rich in vitamin C, lemons support your immune system, promote collagen for healthy skin, and help the body absorb plant-based iron. Think – dark leafy greens.
- Dijon Mustard – Adds flavor depth, without added oil, plus contains compounds from mustard seeds which are rich in antioxidants.
- Aquafaba – The cooking liquid from chickpeas, is a great substitute for eggs or oil in recipes, aquafaba adds body and creaminess without fat. It’s also a source of trace minerals like manganese.
- Mellow White Miso – Fermented soy paste that adds a savory, umami flavor white providing beneficial probiotics to support gut health. It provides vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Watch this video on Nutritionfacts.org to find out about how the sodium in miso does not increase hypertension.
- White Chia Seeds – Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and plant protein. They help thicken the dressing naturally while supporting heat and digestive health.
- Maple Syrup – A natural sweetener that contains small amounts of antioxidants and minerals like manganese and zinc.
- Poppy Seeds – Tiny but mighty! They add a delicate crunch along with calcium, iron and magnesium – and they look pretty too!
Glass jars with lids are perfect for storing our batch prepped food in the pantry or the refrigerator. Use for making yogurt, over night oats, chia pudding, sald dressings, dips, salsa and so much more.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Lemon Juice – Swap with lime juice or orange juice for a softer citrus flavor.
- Dijon Mustard – Yellow Mustard might work in a pinch but Dijon gives more complexity.
- Aquafaba – Use water for a lighter dressing or unsweetened plant milk.
- Mellow White Miso – Chickpea miso is a good soy free alternative.
- White Chia Seeds – Black chia seeds work too, but I prefer the lighter color of white chia seeds in dressings. Ground golden flax seeds might work too.
- Maple Syrup – Try date paste or a couple of Medjool dates blendend in for a whole food sweetener.
- Poppy Seeds – It won’t be a poppy seeds dressing if you leave these out – but you could maybe use hemp hearts but you won’t get that poppy seed flavor!
You Might Also Like These Oil Free Dressings
- Ultimate Vegan Caesar Dressing with Nuts
- Vegan Caesar Dressing Oil Free
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- Creamy Lemon Dill Dressing
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How to Use This Dressing
- On Salads: Perfect over mixed greens, spinach with fresh fruit or massaged into kale.
- Fruit Salad: Lightly toss with fresh fruit salad of apples, citrus, grapes, pineapple and berries.
- Coleslaw: Mix with shredded white and red cabbage, shredded carrots and red onion.
- Roasted Veggies – drizzle over roasted sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts or beets.
- Grain Bowl: Add brightness to quinoa, brown rice, oat groats or millet in a bowl with greens, beans and veggies.
Sunshine Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- PLace all ingredients in a blender and process until well blended. Add more maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter dressing.
- Refrigerate.
Notes
- On Salads: Perfect over mixed greens, spinach with fresh fruit or massaged into kale.
- Fruit Salad: Lightly toss with fresh fruit salad of apples, citrus, grapes, pineapple and berries.
- Coleslaw: Mix with shredded white and red cabbage, shredded carrots and red onion.
- Roasted Veggies – drizzle over roasted sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts or beets.
- Grain Bowl: Add brightness to quinoa, brown rice, oat groats or millet in a bowl with greens, beans and veggies.
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Tami! Just in time foe another week of yum! I love poppyseeds and am happy to find a recipe that’s not a cookie or another sweet thing.
I found a website masonjarlifestyle.com that has a huge inventory of accessories for mason jars! Most are stainless or silicone. I can vouch for the quality! They started as a home business. I’ll be taking this dressing to a restaurant in their storage lid. Sorry I can’t manage to attach a photo.
Thanks as always for your delicious recipes!
Hi Michelle, You are welcome. I am beyond delighted that you have already made this recipe! We have been enjoying it every week this summer. It is so refreshing. Thanks for the tip about the mason jar accessories – I will check that out. I love using my glass jars to store sauces, dressings and other yummy plant foods! Thank you for the review – greatly apprecaited.
Made this last night, needed a change. Did not use poppy seed as my partner can’t have them. Verdict…make it again, its wonderful. Coats salad perfectly.
Thank you so much for your review Diane! I am so glad you enjoyed it even without the poppyseeds!