Kate, I've actually never made poppyseed dressing myself. I know my sister has mentioned liking the one from TJ's. Have you ever tried Briana's? She likes that one, too.

I found this one online. Just thought it sounded like a possible contender.

"This dressing relies on a balance of ingredients, namely white wine vinegar, sugar, and some finely shredded shallot or onion. You might be tempted to leave out the sugar, but this is one time where I’d urge you to leave it in. Lose that sweet element, and like a three-legged stool, the whole thing tips over. You can, however, replace some or all of the sugar with honey. This changes the flavor of the dressing, of course, but it’s a fun riff. You can also play with the mustard — ground or prepared, regular brown or anything fancy you might have in the fridge. If you want a creamier dressing, add a little mayo — you don’t need much, but it’s heavenly."

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 small shallot, finely chopped or grated

1 to 1 1/2 T. poppyseeds

1/2 tsp. salt

Pinch of pepper

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

2 tsp. mayonnaise, optional for a creamier dressing

1/2 cup olive oil, grapeseed oil, or a mix of both

"Note: Olive oil will make a stronger-tasting dressing while grapeseed oil or another neutral-tasting vegetable oil will make a milder dressing. An equal mix of both is nice."

chloebud, I saw this article and was frustratedin not being able to find the recipe. Thank you for posting it.

I haven't had the TJ's and I haven't found it on the web, so don't know what it's like. In general, the kind of poppy seed dressing you find anywhere, is mostly mayonnaise and honey with the seeds, plus a lot of stabilizers. ETA: crossed with Chloebud's. I hope that was what you were looking for.

I've used this one for a long time. More oil and a little more sugar, but it makes more, so possibly less sweet? My girls love it. No mayo, either.

Poppyseed Dressing

⅓ cup white sugar

½ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1 teaspoon grated onion

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds.

Annie

I think I'm going to have some fun trying these differernt recipes. I think Poppyseed dressing is my favorite and so am looking forward to making a really good one myself. Thank you both.

I do pretty much what Annie does...but I use rice wine vinegar and a whole small onion, no mustard and olive oil...a lighter olive oil...put everything in the blender but the poppyseeds.. and add them later

Never tried that. I love poppy seeds so I'll try it. The French aren't very adventurous with dressings lol

My recipe is similar to Annie's -- usually have a bottle in the fridge. I rarely buy dressings having always made my own. Less preservatives!

I make a honey-lemon poppy seed dressing for fruit using 1/3 cup honey, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 2 Tbsp poppy seeds - adjust the proportions to taste. This isn't what you were asking about, but it is still a poppy seed dressing and it is the only one I use on fruit salad.

My recipe either comes from Ken or Paul Newman.

Kate, I remembered seeing this one when I was looking at the other one I posted. Balsamic vinegar might be a nice option.

For the Strawberry Spinach Salad:

¾ cup raw pecans
½ small red onion very thinly sliced
10 ounces fresh baby spinach I also love a 50/50 arugula and spinach blend
1 quart strawberries hulled and quartered (about 1 pound)
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese buy the block-style feta, not pre-crumbled; the texture is much better

For the Poppy seed Dressing:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
1 ½ tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

I got to thinking about a friend's recipe and couldn't find it, so I texted her and asked for it. While looking I rediscovered an old, old recipe in my database for a really delicious salad with poppyseed dressing. Guess what I'm having for my dinner?

Avocado/Grapefruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Yield: 8 servings.

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
2 large red grapefruit, peeled, sectioned, and the white membranes removed
Boston lettuce leaves, washed and chilled

Poppy Seed Dressing
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
5 Tblsp white wine or champaign vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil (NOT olive oil)
1-1/2 tsp grated onion, drained on paper towel
2-1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds

Arrange several slices of avocado and grapefruit on a bed of lettuce, alternating slices for color; chill.

Make dressing by mixing sugar, mustard, vinegar, and salt. Slowly add oil, beating vigorously between additions (dressing will be very thick). Stir in grated onion and poppy seeds. Spoon on salads and serve immediately.

Kate