Happiness is found at the bottom of the bowl of a great dip or spread! Give me some crunchy toast points and some crisp raw vegetables and I will be one happy girl!
Labneh is a type of cheese in Middle Eastern cuisine that is made by straining yogurt for hours, relieving it of the whey, resulting in a creamy, very thick, tangy cheese. It can be garnished simply with za’atar and olive oil or dressed up with nuts, fresh herbs, olives, tomatoes, honey etc…
Here’s what you need:
When it comes to the preparation, it really doesn’t get much simpler. The only two ingredients you need to make labneh are greek yogurt and salt! Just add the salt to the yogurt and give it a quick stir.
Lay a few layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl, then pour the yogurt into the center.
Gather up all of the edges of the cloth and tie it tightly with twine.
Tie the excess twine around the handle of a long wooden spoon, then lay the spoon horizontally across the mouth of a large, deep bowl.
And now, we wait.
Place the bowl in the fridge and allow it to strain for at least 8 hours minimum. For the best, thickest labneh, give it a full 12 to 24 hours. I’ve even seen where some have gone up to 48 hours of straining. I have yet to find the will power to make it that long and am perfectly happy with my 12-hour strained labneh! Check in on it every few hours in case the liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl begins to get too high and needs to be tossed out.
Beautiful!
Finally, cut the twine and pop the strained cheese into a wide and shallow bowl. Then, use a rubber spatula to spread it out in an even layer.
Top labneh with your favorite ingredients!
My personal favorite combination is fresh basil with za’atar and chopped pistachios! Serve it with some crusty toast points or toasted pita. Keep leftover labneh refrigerated for up to a week.
Other recipes like this:
Simple, Delicious Homemade Labneh
Ingredients
- 2 cups full fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Stir the salt into the yogurt.Place several layers of cheesecloth over a shallow bowl, letting the excess hang over the sides.Pour the yogurt into the middle of the cheesecloth. Gather up the sides of the cloth, then tie it tightly with kitchen twine. Tie the bundle to a wooden spoon then place it over a large bowl. Make sure the yogurt is far from the bottom of the bowl. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. For better results, let the yogurt strain for closer to 12 hours. You may need to periodically dump out the strained liquid. Once strained, cut the twine and dump out the thickened labneh into a wide, shallow bowl. Drizzle with olive oil or honey. Sprinkle with za'atar or top with fresh herbs, pistachios and/or olives. Serve with pita or toast points.