Recipes / Dairy

Labneh — creamy strained yoghurt

Thick, creamy strained yoghurt, from Victoria Prever’s recipe for Good Food. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar.

Recipe author: Victoria Prever · Good Food

10 minutes preparation + 12–24 hours strainingMakes: About 300 g; serves 4–6 as a dip
Jump to the stepsIngredients and their stories ↓Download printable PDF
Labneh — creamy strained yoghurt · Serving suggestion
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Instructions

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  1. Prepare the yoghurt

    Stir the salt into the yoghurt. Line a sieve with muslin and set it over a large bowl or jug. Spoon the yoghurt into the lined sieve.

  2. Strain for 12–24 hours

    Gather the cloth edges and tie with kitchen string. Leave the yoghurt in the lined sieve over a bowl and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. Keep the bottom of the sieve clear of the whey collecting below.

  3. Serve

    Strain for a shorter time for a soft dip, or longer for firmer labneh. Spoon into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar.

Tips

Contains milk. The yoghurt is already fermented; this recipe thickens it by draining off the whey.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that often contains sesame. Check the ingredients of your blend.

Olive oil added for serving does not replace refrigeration.

This card uses refrigerated straining throughout. The original author offers this method in warm weather; the ingredient amounts and straining time stay the same.

Storage

Strain for 12–24 hours in the fridge, in a sieve over a bowl. Keep the finished labneh refrigerated.

How to serve

Serve as a spread for bread or as part of a mezze platter with vegetables.

Ingredients / history / science

Discover the ingredients and their stories

What goes into the jar? Where does the flavour come from? Open a topic and explore its sources.

About the ingredientsYoghurt becomes a creamy spread

Labneh is made by draining some of the whey from yoghurt. The longer you strain it in the fridge, the thicker it becomes. Full-fat yoghurt makes a mild, creamy spread that can be served with olive oil and za’atar.

History on a plateA shared idea across the Middle East

Labneh belongs to the culinary traditions of the Middle East and is especially popular in Lebanon. Researchers at the American University of Beirut also describe it as a product found in the Balkans. These cuisines share a simple idea: strain yoghurt to make it much thicker and easy to spread.

A closer lookThicker by draining

The cloth lets some of the whey drain from the yoghurt while retaining the thicker curd. Removing liquid concentrates the remaining solids and makes the labneh firmer. This recipe starts with finished yoghurt: its main thickening step is straining, not adding a new starter culture.

Recipe sources

This recipe is based on the sources listed above.

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