A lightened poppy seed dressing tossed with mixed greens, sliced nectarines, goat cheese, red onion, and pistachios. This Nectarine Poppy Seed Salad is a fresh, healthy side salad.
I planted my vegetable garden last week and filled it with lettuces and other greens—so it’s salad season at my house. Last year my lettuce did great, and I loved having a simple green salad with dinner most nights.
Salads with poppy seed dressing are among my favorites, especially when stone fruit and berries are in season. I enjoy the balance of sweet fruit and salty or tangy elements in a salad. The downside is that many poppy seed dressings—both homemade and store-bought—are heavy on mayonnaise and sugar, which can undermine the point of eating a fruit-and-vegetable-packed salad.
So I developed a lighter version. I adapted a recipe from The Cookful and increased the yogurt while reducing the mayonnaise and sugar. Using whole-milk plain yogurt gives the dressing a creamy texture without relying on a large amount of mayo; a small amount of sugar keeps it pleasantly sweet without overpowering the fruit.
For this salad I used spring mixed greens, thinly sliced nectarine (peaches work well too), crumbled goat cheese for creaminess, thinly sliced red onion for a bright bite, and salted pistachios for crunch. The finished salad is sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy—simple and satisfying.
Nectarine Poppy Seed Salad
4 side salads
Taylor Ellingson
Ingredients
For the Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (or plain Greek yogurt; add a couple tablespoons of water if it’s too thick)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
For the salad:
- 5–6 cups mixed greens
- 1 nectarine, sliced (peach optional)
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios or walnuts
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or medium bowl.
- If using a jar, secure the lid and shake vigorously until well combined. If using a bowl, whisk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens, sliced nectarine, goat cheese, red onion, and pistachios.
- Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad, toss gently, and add more dressing to taste.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
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Disclosure: I was compensated for this post as part of Stonyfield’s Clean Plate Club. As always, all opinions and the recipe are my own.