I’m more and more convinced that homemade salad dressings are far superior to store bought. And lately I’ve been reading that there are some icky ingredients in the store bought dressings. (You don’t want to know and I wish I didn’t.)
This is a recipe I’ve been making for years. I adapted it from a cookbook that was published in 1982! It’s called The Pride of Peoria and it was published by the Junior League of Peoria, Illinois. I just checked to see if it’s still in publication…it is! Wow! I should probably check it out…you’d think it would have been updated by now but you never know. The cover is exactly the same as my old copy although my copy has been well loved and it shows!
Anyway, here’s the recipe. My changes include adding the honey and the red wine vinegar. I also cut back on the sugar. Every time I serve this dressing I’m asked for the recipe.
POPPYSEED DRESSING
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup of canola oil (I’ve used part walnut oil and part peanut oil, too)
5 tablespoons sugar
1 small onion, finely grated
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons poppyseeds
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Blend well and keep refrigerated. Shake well before serving.
One note about this cookbook. It’s excellent. There are two recipes for Carrot Cake that rival each other…one has pineapple in it; the other doesn’t. Also a wonderful recipe for Barbecue Brisket for Buffet that has become such a pot luck and open house favorite I almost know it by heart!