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Cucumber Laban (Lebanese Yogurt Sauce)

    This cool and creamy cucumber laban (Lebanese yogurt sauce) is perfect with grilled meats, salmon, or as a side salad with a variety of Lebanese specialties.

    Spooning out cucumber laban Lebanese yogurt sauce.


    Cucumber laban (Lebanese yogurt sauce) holds a special place in my heart. Growing up, I remember watching my Aunt Paula make it in her kitchen before family dinners or holiday gatherings. She would taste test often to find the perfect balance of garlic, mint, and lemon juice. Khyar bi laban is traditionally served alongside many Lebanese dishes such as Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves, M’Juddarah (lentils and bulgur with caramelized onions), Stuffed Kousa Squash, or Sfeehas.

    Ingredients

    • Yogurt: I use low-fat plain yogurt, for a creamy, tangy, refreshing taste.
    • Cucumber: Using English cucumbers is my go to as they don’t have as many seeds and the skin usually isn’t as bitter, but you could use regular cucumbers as well.
    • Lemon juice: The bright, acidic, citrusy flavor cuts through the creamy yogurt sauce and pairs well with the cucumber.
    • Mint: I use dried mint as it has an intense flavor and is easy to access, but you could use fresh mint as well, although you’d have to use more of it.
    • Garlic: Strong, aromatic, and a little nutty if flavor, it pairs well with many flavors and ingredients.

    How to Make Cucumber Laban

    Chopping a cucumber

    Start your cucumber laban by dicing your cucumber. Alternatively, you could also shred it.

    Adding yogurt to bowl 2

    Then in a large bowl, scoop in your yogurt.

    Adding cucumber to bowl

    And add in the chopped cucumber.

    Grating garlic into sauce

    Then using a microplane, freshly grate your garlic, or you could also mince it.

    Squeezing lemon juice 1

    Then add your freshly squeezed lemon juice.

    Adding dried mint to bowl

    And finish with the dried mint, and some salt and pepper to taste.

    Mixing laban

    Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

    Cucumber laban (Lebanese yogurt sauce)

    Garnish with additional mint (dried or fresh), serve, and enjoy your Cucumber Laban (Lebanese Yogurt Sauce)!

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    What types of yogurt work best for laban?

    Greek yogurt would work, but it would make the laban tangier. Low-fat yogurt works best.

    How far in advance can this be made?

    Cucumber laban can be made 1-2 days ahead of time for a gathering.

    What is the difference between tzatziki and laban?

    They are very similar in that they use yogurt and cucumber, but where Greek tzatziki uses dill, laban uses mint.

    Cucumber laban (Lebanese yogurt sauce)

    Complimentary Dishes

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    Liz eating cucumber laban Lebanese yogurt sauce.

    Whip up a batch of my Cucumber Laban (Lebanese Yogurt Sauce) and pair it with a Lebanese classic, or it’s also great in a pita sandwich or on top of grilled salmon, chicken, or pork.

    No fork required.

    Lebanese Laban Cucumber Yogurt Sauce 2

    Cucumber Laban (Lebanese Yogurt Sauce)

    4.25 stars average
    This cool and creamy cucumber laban Lebanese yogurt sauce is perfect with grilled meats, salmon, or as a side salad with a variety of Lebanese specialties.
    PREP: 10 mins
    TOTAL: 10 mins
    Save
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups plain low fat yogurt
    • 2 cups cucumber (finely chopped)
    • 1 juice of lemon
    • 2 tablespoons dried mint
    • 2 cloves garlic (grated)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
    • Check for seasoning and add more lemon, garlic, mint or salt depending on your personal preference.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 13.5gProtein: 7gFat: 2.4gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 380mgFiber: 1.1gSugar: 9.3g

    SHOW AND TELL ON INSTAGRAM!Show me your creation and rate it below! Mention @thelemonbowl or tag #thelemonbowl! I would LOVE to see!
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    Liz DellaCroce

    Liz Della Croce is the creator and author of The Lemon Bowl, a healthy food blog. Since 2010, Liz has been sharing delicious recipes that just so happen to be healthy. By using real ingredients with an emphasis on seasonality, Liz has built a growing audience of loyal readers who crave good food for their families. Click Here To Subscribe to my newsletter:

    82 Comments

    1. My girlfriend said she’ll eat it again. That’s good, because like you, it was a childhood favorite. My mother taught me to slice the cucumber thin and layer it with salt, let it sit and then squeeze it to draw out the water. At any rate, I used labneh from ARZ in California which is made from cow milk. I never put lemon juice in mine, so it was interesting to see how it turned out. Great!

    2. I made this for your Chicken Shawarma recipe and I pretty much want to eat it on EVERYTHING now. And I don’t even like cucumbers!

      We are trying to go dairy-free at my house due to an allergy, so I made this with unsweetened coconut yogurt and it was perfect. My husband had no idea it wasn’t regular yogurt.

    3. Brings me back to my childhood in a Lebanese, Greek, & French Canadian kitchen- did WE get a little taste of everything!
      Our cucumbers were cut into bites and with the same dressing, served as a salad.

    4. As soon as I saw the words “Lebanese and yogurt”, I was sold! I grew up in Asia and the Middle East (State Dept. brat) and have such fond memories of Beirut. When you lived in third world nations in the 50’s and 60’s, Lebanon was a wonderful place to vacation, It was a lovely city with gorgeous beaches and the food was too delicious for words. I use this sauce in so many ways and my family loves it, from the oldest to the very young. (I also just eat it with a spoon.) Your recipe is perfect and it must have been kismet when it popped up on my Pinterest feed.

    5. Found this recipe about 6 months ago and have been making it regularly. Love, love, love! We make homemade yogurt, and I try to eat a healthy amount of it for health reasons, but I really struggle wit the sweet variations on it (added fruit, honey, etc) and much prefer savory. This recipe is perfect. Thank you for sharing!

      1. Thanks Liz, ignore my double post/question on the kafta recipe, sorry!

        Very helpful, I have made your tzatziki before, super good!

    6. Yay!! Another’s cuke recipe, and this ones right up my hubby’s alley! Reminds him of his aunt’s who are fabulous lenabese cooks.. Let see if I can wow him with this and use up my cukes at the same time!

    7. Liz,
      Looks very yummy–I think my way-more-than-20 month olds would prefer grated cukes too, as they are not cucumber fans, though they like cooling sides.

      Thanks!

    8. My grandmother used to make homemade Luban, so I decided to checkout this post. When I saw the link to Steehas it reminded me of her so I had to check it out. Love that your family gets together to make Lebanese food.. my favorite!! Any chance your Aunt would consider letting you post her Steehas recipe? They look very much like my grandmother’s and I would love to give them a try.

      1. Linda we tried several variations that day and none of them were up to my aunt’s standards!!! I wish I knew. :(

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