Sour, creamy and buttery, you will love this easy appetizer of labneh drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar.
Za’atar is one of those ingredients that I always have on hand. I grew up eating it and as an adult, I continue to use it to season meals in one form or another almost daily. Today’s recipe is one of my favorite snacks and also makes a great appetizer for dinner parties or casual entertaining.
Frequently asked questions:
How is labneh different than yogurt?
Labneh (Middle Eastern strained yogurt) is similar to Greek yogurt but thicker in consistency and richer in flavor.
Where can I buy labneh?
Labneh can be made at home or you can find in most Middle Eastern or international grocery stores.
Creamy labneh is a Middle Eastern staple often eaten at breakfast. It is similar in consistency to crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt. It is nice and tangy which is why it compliments so well with silky olive oil, earthy za’atar and a good pinch of salt.
I urge you to serve it with my easy-as-can-be Baked Pita Chips with Za’atar but it is also delicious with sesame crackers, lavash bread or fresh veggies.
No fork required.
Labneh with Olive Oil and Za’atar
Ingredients
- 2 cups labneh
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons za’atar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Baked Pita Chips with Za’atar (fresh pita bread or veggies for serving)
Instructions
- Spread labneh out in a thin layer on a medium serving platter or large plate. It’s important to spread out in a thin layer as opposed to serving in a bowl so that every bite gets a bit of the spices and olive oil.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar and salt.
- Serve with pita chips, veggies or fresh pita bread.
Nutrition
Want more delicious Lebanese recipes? Check out my Pinterest board!
Just prepared this recipe along with a side arugula salad. My goodness, your simple to prepare recipe is fantastic! Paired extremely well. I’m signing up for your newsletter.
THELEMONBOWL IS LITERALLY THE BEST blog. Love hearing about all of their new recipes this one looks delicious, I also came across this other website with a KETO diet plan that sold me !!
Oh my goodness thank you so much!!
My mouth is watering and these are ingredients I haven’t even tasted before! Guess it means I need to try this one!
It’s so so good!!!!!
Liz,
I also wanted to share with you that Amazon sells a device made by Cuispro, called a “Yogurt Cheee maker” that makes producing Lebnah a lot easier the same idea as the cheesecloth, but using a vey fine screen , which makes it much easier to clean. because one does not use cheesecloth. I like mine a lot.
Ll,oyd
Thank you so much Lloyd – that’s great to know!!
Liz,
It had not occured to me to look on your site for a Labneh recipe, DUH!!!!, I have been whining since I moved to Ft. Lauderdale about the scarcity, when I lived in Lansing I had it for bkfst. every morning, either homemade from Woody’s Oasis o commerccial, uusally on toast with red chili pepper flakes on it.
Thank you,
Lloyd
Oh my gosh that sounds so good!
Just made it with my new purchases today. Big yum!!!!
Woot!! So good and simple yet it’s a snack I crave again and again. We grew up eating it with scrambled eggs for breakfast. :)
I love any kind of dip! This looks so good, and different, can’t wait to try it!
I hope you like it!
You can even serve it on toast or warmed pita with some fresh tomatoes and kalamata olives. We love it with mint tea!
Yes!! I want that right now!