This is my new favorite thing. I had never had it before but was inspired after my friend Vivi told me it was one or HER favorite things. Oh my! SO. GOOD. Labneh is a soft Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and it’s really versatile. Serve it as a dip with good-quality olive oil and za’atar. This recipe is from loveandlemons. I served with homemade pita but it would be great with crackers, veggies, on pizza….

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and salt.
• Scoop the mixture onto a layer of cheesecloth (or 2 layers, depending on the thickness of your yogurt). Bring the edges of the cheesecloth together, tie it around a wooden spoon, and place the spoon across the top of a medium bowl so that the labneh hangs in the center but does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Chill overnight.
• Remove the labneh from the cheese cloth. Transfer to bowl and serve as a spread with desired toppings and veggies, pita, or crackers for dipping. It can also be dolloped, like soft goat cheese, onto salads, pizza, or flatbread.

toppings & serving options

• Olive oil for drizzling
• Z’atar spice mix (I found at Trader Joe’s)