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A bowl of labneh with oil and za'atar

2 Ingredient Labneh (Strained Yogurt)

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Passive Time: 12 hours
  • Total Time: 12 hours
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: side dish, snack, appetizer
  • Method: Strained
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Made with 2 simple ingredients, this creamy Middle Eastern Labneh recipe is fabulous served as a dip with a generous drizzle of olive oil. This strained yogurt is known for it’s thick appearance and is often compared to a soft cheese in texture and Greek yogurt in flavor. Keep reading for my notes on making this with dairy free yogurts.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (24 ounce) container of plain full-fat yogurt (can also be Greek yogurt)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the yogurt & salt. Mix the yogurt and salt together, in a bowl or in the yogurt container to save dishes.
  2. Strain the yogurt. Add the yogurt to the center of a piece of cheesecloth resting in a mesh strainer. Set the mesh strainer over a bowl, making sure it’s elevated enough to keep all strained liquids from touching the cheesecloth.
  3. Chill. Add the bowl with the strainer and yogurt to the fridge and chill for overnight or up to 48 hours. The longer it strains, the thicker the labneh.
  4. Enjoy! Scoop the strained yogurt out of the cheesecloth and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

Notes

Storage: Once your labneh is strained and stored in an air tight container, in can keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Store topped with a drizzle of olive oil to help preserve the quality. 

Dairy Free Labneh? You can make dairy free labneh using a dairy free yogurt. Just keep in mind that you will have to strain the yogurt for a few extra days – for at least 3+ days. I also recommend using a soy or cashew yogurt, to avoid any undesirable flavors that came with coconut and oat milk based yogurts when recipe testing.