Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Salads are a lunchtime staple in our household, and I’m often looking for ways to mix things up. Last week the idea for this creamy lemon poppy seed dressing popped into my head.

It’s so easy to get stuck in a mayo rut when it comes to creamy salad dressings. But a carton of Unsweetened Silk Cashewmilk sitting in my refrigerator gave me pause. I wondered if an oil-free, cashew-based dressing could rival old-school recipes. To my pleasant surprise, it was one of the smoothest, creamiest condiments I’d ever enjoyed. And honestly, it just #TastesLikeBetter.

Helpful Notes: Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

• The flavor of this dressing is gently sweet with a nice lemony light tang. It’s perfect over a fresh green salad with ripe strawberries and chopped nuts. However, it pairs well with a surprising range of salads, from sweet fruit salads to savory protein-based salads.
• The red palm oil is my little secret for adding a pretty natural yellow hue to this dressing. You can double the amount for a brighter shade, if desired. I do source a sustainable variety.
• The consistency will be a little thin at first, but it becomes even creamier and thickens quite a bit as it chills in the refrigerator. I found that amount of liquid to be perfect after refrigeration for a few hours, but feel free to adjust the liquid as needed.

This creamy lemon poppy seed dressing recipe post is sponsored by Silk, in honor of their #TastesLikeBetter campaign. Join them on Instagram and Twitter, and sign up for their newsletter for more dairy-free recipes and coupons!

Special Diet Notes: Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, optionally vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, and optionally oil-free. It’s also paleo-friendly.

Alisa Fleming

Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

5 from 1 vote

This easy dressing is virtually oil-free and has a richness that rivals mayo-based recipes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 1 1/2 cups (about 12 servings)

Calories: 87.8

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ⅔ cup dairy-free unsweetened milk beverage I use Silk Cashewmilk*
• ½ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice you'll need about 3 lemons
• ¼ cup honey or agave nectar for vegan
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sustainable red palm oil optional, for color
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Method

 

1. Put the cashews in your spice grinder or small food processor and process into a powder, about 1 minute. It's okay if the cashews begin to clump.
2. Transfer the ground cashews to your blender. Add the milk beverage, lemon juice, honey, salt, mustard, and palm oil (if using). Blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
3. Pour the dressing into a container and stir in the poppy seeds.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. It will thicken and the flavors will meld as it sits. If it thickens too much, whisk in a little more milk beverage or lemon juice, to taste, as needed.
5. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 87.8kcalCarbohydrates: 9.9gProtein: 1.8gFat: 4.9gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 159mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 6.7g

Notes

*If you want to use this dressing immediately, reduce the milk beverage to 1/2 cup. After the leftovers are chilled, you can whisk in more milk beverage as needed.

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