Certain dishes are omnipresent in every household in Lebanon. Labneh is one of them; one must always have some in the fridge. Whether you’re just a bit peckish and need a snack, or you want to add to your mezze selection, labneh is just great! I love having it on some freshly baked saj bread (a type of flat bread) with olives, tomatoes, fresh mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. A big mug of sweetened black tea on the side and you have a perfect breakfast! Besides the basic recipe, I’ve included some options for garnish (which can also be mixed with the labneh itself) and the variations thereof are countless; so go ahead and create your own labneh dish!
Ingredients
500 gr Greek or Turkish yoghurt
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Lebanese or Palestinian, if possible)
Bereiding
- Mix the salt with the yoghurt.
- Line a sieve or a colander with a linen towel (a tea towel will do) and place over a deep bowl. Pour the yoghurt in to the cloth, fold in the edges and put in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Scoop out the labneh, mix it well and spread it onto a serving dish.
- Top with the olive oil and serve with some Lebanese flat bread.
Garnish and mixtures, to be mixed either with the olive oil (as a granish) or the labneh itself
Zaatar
- 4 teaspoons Lebanese zaatar mix
- 1 tablespoon cucumber in small pieces
Olives
- 10 black Kalamata olives
- 5-6 leaves fresh mint
Tomato
- 4 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
Garlic
- 1 garlic clove, crushed in a mortar
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
