Labneh is a Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yoghurt. It’s a simple as straining the yoghurt it in the fridge for up to 72 hours. The whey is effectively strained away. It’s easily customizable, I added a dukkah, an herb blend, coating to some and marinated the rest in olive oil and herbs.
The yoghurt can strain for a minimum of 4-5 hours which will achieve a creamy type spread, or up to 72 hours in which the labneh is very thick, dense, virtually dry and has a slightly sour taste. I strained mine for about 50 hours and it was perfect.
It’s an impressive party nibble and is damn delicious on toast, crackers, a falafel salad, sandwiches and so on. Next time you want to create something slightly different that you can add your own flavour-spin to, give labneh a chance.
PrintHow to Make Labneh: Yogurt Cheese
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Create the simple Middle Eastern cheese and then flavor with fun spices to create a unique appetizer. This is 3 styles of labneh, plain, dukkah coated and herby. Adapted from from The New Feast
Ingredients
For the labneh
- 1 kg (2.2 pounds) greek style yoghurt
- 1 small garlic clove, minced finely
- 1 tea spoon salt
- 1 cheese cloth, muslin, clean tea towel or 2 chux wipes
- some string + wooden spoon
For the marinades (optional)
- dukkah for rolling
- fresh finely chopped rosemary
- lemonthyme
- olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the minced garlic clove and salt into the yoghurt.
- Scrape the yoghurt into the tea towel/muslin/cloth.
- Tie the 4 corners together to form a hanging bag.
- Twist the cloth firmly and tie with string (pictured in post).
- Hang the ball from a wooden spoon and hang over a deep set bowl or strainer ensuring the ball doesn’t touch the bottom.
- Allow it to drain for 4 hours to 72 in the fridge.
- Once desired consistency is achieved, cut tie and open cloth.
- With oiled hands, pinch coin sized pieces of labneh and gently roll into a ball.
- Coat in herbs/spices or marinade in olive oil. Labneh can hold in olive oil for up to 4 weeks in he fridge.
Notes
For a consistency of a thick spread, similar to creme fraiche strain for 4-6 hours.
For a consistency of cream cheese/philadelphia strain for 24-48 hours.
I strained mine for 50-52 hours and they were firm enough to roll into spreadable balls.
For sweet labneh, no garlic but stick to same process. Drizzle with honey and a little pinch of cinnamon.
- Category: Side, appetizer
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I strain the yogurt to achieve a creamy spread?
For a creamy type spread, strain the yogurt for a minimum of 4-5 hours.
What is the effect of straining the yogurt for 50 hours?
Straining the yogurt for about 50 hours results in a labneh that is thick, dense, and has a slightly sour taste.
Can I flavor the labneh while it is straining?
Yes, you can customize the labneh by adding a dukkah coating or marinating it in olive oil and herbs after it has finished straining.
Sorry but thid is not labneh. It’s just strained yogurt!
Labneh is just strained yoghurt! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strained_yogurt