Fruit Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

Spring is here and I’m celebrating with this Fruit Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing. This gorgeous dish will make a stunning centerpiece for your Easter buffet.

This post is part of a Rubbermaid #Freshworks sponsored series for Socialstars™

Oh, spring, how do I love thee? In every possible way!

Easter is right around the corner, friends. We are five days and counting! I was so caught up in St. Patrick’s Day this year that I’m a little stunned by how quickly it has arrived. But, I’m here just in time to share this fresh and beautiful fruit salad and one of my most favorite homemade dressings of all time. This is a good one and you should definitely consider adding it to your holiday menu.

What makes this fruit salad so special is the utterly delicious Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing. It’s my lightened up version of the bottled variety you find at the store and is fabulous! It is creamy, sweet, and has a nice tangy kick from apple cider vinegar. It’s also super versatile and can (and should!) be used on a variety of different salads, but man alive is it delicious with fruit.

And, don’t you just love the look of it? A great big bowl of colorful fruit topped with this dressing just says spring to me.

I’m happy to announce that I’m teaming with Rubbermaid® to bring you some fresh and fabulous recipes for spring and beyond. This is my first in a series of posts to introduce you to their brand new Freshworks™ Produce Saver.

Why are they different than regular storage containers? They provide an optimal environment for fruits and veggies by regulating the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the container. A tray at the bottom of the containers elevates produce away from moisture, allowing more airflow to help prevent spoilage. The built-in lid filter lasts for the life of the container and will never need to be replaced.

What does all this mean? It means your produce will stay fresh up to 80% longer versus just tossing it in your fridge in the store packaging. You can also use the containers to hold prepped and cut fruit and it will stay fresher longer than if you place it in standard containers. It’s a convenient way to pack up fruit to go. Take it with you to the track meet, the swim meet, a picnic at the park, etc.

The containers come in the three sizes shown above. The largest container is holding the strawberries for my fruit salad but I’ll definitely be using it for greens in the future as it’s roomy enough to hold an entire head of lettuce!

Let’s get this fruit salad going!

Most creamy dressings have a mayonnaise base but I’ve cut the fat by replacing nearly all of the mayo with non-fat Greek yogurt. I’m telling you, you won’t miss it! In addition, there is a little apple cider vinegar to add some tanginess, sugar (because it’s got to be a little bit sweet), and just a little bit of grated onion. Use a cheese grater to grate about 1 teaspoon of white or yellow onion and it will blend into the dressing, adding flavor, but no texture. It’s a great trick. The poppy seeds are added next.

Then, it’s just a matter of adding enough milk to reach the desired consistency. You can add just a little bit for a thick and creamy dressing or add 1/2 cup or more to make it pourable. Whatever you’d like! The dressing can be made a day or two in advance and I like to store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. I love any recipe that lets me get part of it out of the way ahead of time. Especially for a holiday gathering.

Use the leftover dressing on spinach salad, broccoli salad, mixed greens with grilled chicken, I could go on and on.

I went with strawberries, blueberries, grapes, mangoes and kiwis but you can use any variety of fruit that is available to you. Mix it up and make it your own!

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