Salad Dressing Mix

This is a homemade riff on the classic creamy poppy seed dressing you’d pour over a baby spinach and strawberry salad. The cottage cheese is the secret, blended into the oil and vinegar base it gives the dressing its signature creamy body without the calories of a full mayonnaise base.

Dry mustard and dried onion flakes do the heavy work on the savory side, balancing the sugar so the dressing reads tangy-sweet rather than dessert-sweet. The poppy seeds bring that nutty crunch and the slightly retro look that makes this dressing feel like it came off a 1970s church-cookbook page (in the best way).

Great over baby spinach with red onion and mandarin oranges, or drizzled on a simple iceberg wedge.

Kitchen Tips

• Whisk or blend hard, the cottage cheese needs to break down into the oil for a smooth pour
• For an even silkier dressing, run the whole batch through a blender for 30 seconds
• Store in the fridge, not the pantry. The cottage cheese and vinegar mean this needs cold storage and is best used within a week
• Shake well before each use, separation is normal

Variations

• Swap the white sugar for honey or maple syrup for a deeper sweetness
• Use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar for a fruitier acid note
• Add a tablespoon of orange zest for a citrus-forward dressing that pairs with spinach salad