Smoked Labneh Cheese (Strained Yogurt)

Middle Eastern Labneh cheese is tangy, creamy, and is a match made in heaven with olive oil. It’s made from fresh yogurt that is strained for 24-48 hours (the longer you strain the yogurt, the thicker it will be). Straining yogurt removes the whey, which then turns it into a thick, creamy cheese resembling cream cheese (but guilt free as the calories are way lower). It preserves the yogurt’s distinctive, sour taste and is absolutely perfect for spreading on toasted bread or pita.

Labneh (also known as Labni, Lebni) is very popular in the Middle East. It is commonly formed into balls, sometimes covered with herbs or spices, and stored under olive oil to preserve for longer. Labneh is a popular mezze dish (a selection of small dishes similar to Spanish Tapas, but Middle Eastern dishes) but also as an ingredient in a sandwich.  A common sandwich in the Middle East is one of labneh, mint, thyme, and olive on pita bread.

But in my opinion, one of the best combinations for Labneh is the Zaátar spice. Za’atar is in it’s classic form a blend of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. This blend with its many variations is very popular in the middle east and sparks out a unique taste in many savory dishes. You can find it in many grocery stores, but you can also easily mix these spices at home, change the quantities as you like them and make your own home blend.

How to make Labneh

It’s very easy to make Labneh at home, all you need is a bit of patience (about 36 hours) and some fridge space. You will also need a cheese cloth or tea towel for the straining, you can buy it in any food store, or make your life easier and order it here.

Start off by taking a suitably sized mixing bowl and spread the cheese cloth on it

Then pour in the yogurt and add salt. I use half full cow yogurt and half full goat yogurt. Mix well to combine all the ingredients

Collect the sides of the cloth and tie tightly with a strong string, leaving some length of string to be able to tie it up

You can now tie this either in or outside the refrigerator, I personally prefer to tie it inside the fridge. The yogurt cloth bag will hang and drip into the bowl placed beneath the bag. Just let gravity do it’s job and you’ll have fresh Labneh in no time! (well, some time, but it’s worth it)

Let the whey drip out and occasionally empty the collection bowl. This will take about 24-48 hours. I like to open it every 12-24 hours to check, if needed I stir it a bit or scrape the sides to make sure the yogurt in the middle get’s its fair chance to drip out too.  When ready, open the cloth and you will find your creamy Labneh ready.

Now you can either oil your hands lightly and make small balls (a bit smaller than golf balls) and drop them into a jar with olive oil. Cover with olive oil until the top and they will preserve perfectly for a week or two. If you like, you can get creative and add a sprig of rosemary or thyme to the oil, or some peppercorns or coriander maybe? Add whatever you like!

You can also serve it in a bowl with the Zaátar spice I mentioned earlier and olive oil, it’s an amazing combination to dip your pita in!

That’s it. You made your own home made fresh Labneh. Now… If you would like to try smoked Labneh, stick around a little bit more.

How to make Smoked Labneh

If you were successful to survive the temptation of eating your freshly made labneh and decided to go for a more smokey flavor, I congratulate you. It’s not everyday that we control our cravings and the return will be worth it, because Smoked Labneh is  a m a z i n g. When I first uploaded my classic labneh balls in olive oil to the Amsterdam Cooks group on Facebook, I got a great tip to try to smoke it, I used the recipe off of Botanica’s website but replaced the Oolong (chinese tea) with Russian black tea and the orange peels with red grapefruit, because I can.

Start by taking a big pot and adding some loose black tea, large peels from one lemon and large peels from one grapefruit

Then add some foil paper on top of the ingredients and in the pot itself, and turn on medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape the labneh out of the cloth so you have one ball of cheese

Transfer it to a steel strainer and push it a bit to the sides

After the tea and peels start smoking, remove the foil and add a few drops of water. Add the strainer on top of the pot.

Cover with the lid and surround it all with foil paper to make sure the smoke doesn’t escape. Keep it covered for 8 minutes on medium-high heat. Taste it, and if the smokiness is to your taste, remove from the strainer and let it cool.

You can now form Labneh balls, eat it with Zaátar and olive oil or my favorite; smear it on some fresh bread, pita or toast and add chopped mint, pomegranate seeds and a few drops of olive oil. Enjoy!