Spring Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Can you hear the whisper of spring calling to you? It starts with a spring lettuce mix that includes arugula, spinach, red and green chard, red and green leaf lettuce, and radicchio. Add to this thinly sliced radish and green onion, strawberries, boiled eggs, and a smattering of sunflower seeds. All topped with a delicious homemade poppy seed dressing. So yummy! Seriously, I’ve been munching on this all month and haven’t tired of it yet!

Of course, if you enjoy a home garden, you will want to use your own fresh garden greens to make this salad. And it will be fantastic! Our uncle down the road has been lavishing us with fresh garden produce this spring and we’re loving the bounty!

This Poppy Seed dressing reminds me a lot of a simple sugar-vinegar dressing my mom uses on her fresh garden spring salad. But with more umph.

I have made several homemade salad dressings, but this Poppy Seed Dressing might be tied for first–right up there with my French Dressing. I love them both, and intend to enjoy each of them a lot this summer!

Homemade Salad Dressings to Try

To begin, gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Boil the Eggs

Begin by boiling the eggs, since this will take the longest amount of time. If you think of it, you could even do this step early in the morning or the day before to save time when you’re ready to make the salad.

Place eggs in a small to medium saucepan and cover them with cold water. Place on stove and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the eggs to set for 12-13 minutes.

After the allotted time, drain the water from the pan, and place the eggs in a bowl of ice water. Allow to chill for 10-12 minutes. Remove shell from the eggs and place boiled eggs in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the Ingredients

Using a cutting board and Chef’s knife, slice the strawberries either in half or in thin slices. Either way, strawberries are lovely in a spring salad. I used to think adding fruit to a garden salad was weird, but honestly, it’s quite fabulous. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, pears. All good. Or dried fruit works well, too, like cranberries, cherries, or blueberries.

Next, thinly slice the radishes and green onion. Be sure to slice into the green leaves of the onion, too, for extra flavor and green color!

While you’re at it, chop the sweet onion to use in the dressing. Place 1/3 cup of onion in a bowl and set aside until ready to make the dressing.

Slice the boiled eggs using a knife or egg slicer. You might also cut the eggs in half, which is also a nice way to serve the salad.

Place the prepared chopped onion in the bowl of a blender. Add to that the granulated sugar, white vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse this together until the onion is mixed well.

Next, add in the oils. I like using the combination of vegetable oil (less expensive) and extra virgin olive oil (for flavor) rather than using just one oil. Slowly add the oil blending at a slow speed until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. I love the process of emulsifying. It’s very satisfying.

Finish the dressing by stirring in the poppy seeds. Whisk together to combine. Place the dressing in a glass jar or cruet. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You may store this dressing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. After that, the dressing starts to thin, but is still usable for another day or two.

Finally, it’s time to assemble this yummy salad! Place the spring salad mix in a large serving bowl. Add sliced radishes and green onions to the salad greens. Then add the strawberries to the salad. At this point, go ahead and lightly toss the salad to incorporate the additions into the salad.

Since the eggs can be rather messy, I prefer to save those for garnishing the top of the salad. You may either do this in a big salad bowl, or on individual plates or bowls. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the salad.

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