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Labneh with Fresh Vegetables

You should use full-fat yogurt for best results. Not sure how lowfat would work, but this is pretty healthy as is and a little goes a long way – if you can resist it! If you want your labneh very thick, you can drain it for up to 24 hours. But I like it a bit soft and velvety. Finely diced celery, carrots, radishes, celery, kohlrabi or any firm-textured vegetable would work. Just beware that if you add red radishes and plan to keep it for any length of time, you’ll find that the skins will tint the labneh a soft, rosy hue like mine did here. If you wish to swap out other vegetables, use about 1/2 cup (75g) of chopped vegetables, total. You can also make a half recipe, although it keeps for a few days in the refrigerator and it’s nice to have something to dip into. It also makes an excellent sandwich spread, with sliced vegetables, hard-cooked eggs, or whatever else you like on sandwiches. I added za’atar and an extra pinch of sumac. You can find them in Middle Eastern markets, online, or make za’atar yourself.
  • 1 quart (4 cups, 960g) full-fat plain yogurt
  • big pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup (40g) finely diced radishes
  • 1 tablespoon finely diced scallions, spring onions, or green garlic
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced carrots, (peeled)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Za'atar, or fresh herbs
  • Line a nonreactive strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth or muslin cloth (called étamine, in French.) Set the strainer over a deep bowl, one deep enough so that the bottom of the strainer is a few inches above the bottom of the bowl, where the strained liquid (whey) will collect.
  • Stir the salt into the yogurt, then scrape the yogurt into the lined strainer. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth or cloth over the yogurt and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
  • Remove the strained cheese (labneh) from the cloth, which will be thick, and put it into a bowl. (Some people save the liquid whey and use it in soups, or as liquid in bread recipes.)
  • Stir in the diced vegetables.
  • Transfer the mixture to a shallow serving bowl and make a few swirls in the labneh, then drizzle in a fairly generous amount of olive oil. Top with za’atar, or some lively fresh herbs, and serve with bread for dipping.

Notes

Storage: While it might be tempting to make it all in advance, I prefer to add the vegetables as close to serving as possible so they retain their crunch and remain a bit distinct. You can make the strained labneh up to four days in advance.