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Roasted Garlic Lemon Labneh

Roasted Garlic Lemon Labneh


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5 from 26 reviews

  • Author: Sonja Goeden
  • Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Roasted Garlic Lemon Labneh is a super creamy spread made from strained Greek yoghurt with mild and caramelized roasted garlic and zesty lemon, rounded with some lemony sumac.
Super quick to make, healthy and with lots of protein, this will become a favourite side dish for sure. If with the Mezze Feast or on its own, you will fall in love with it.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups Greek yoghurt (full fat)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the Roasted Garlic Lemon version:

  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 lemon (zested)
  • 1 tsp sumac

Instructions

Straining the Yogurt:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute the salt throughout the yogurt.

Choose your preferred straining method:

  1. a. Cheese Cloth/Towel Method: Use a clean cheesecloth or kitchen towel and tie it to the handle of a wooden spoon. Place this over a container that’s high enough to allow the liquid to drain out of the yogurt. Let it rest in the fridge overnight.
  2. b. Coffee Filter Method: If using a coffee filter, like a Chemex coffee maker, place the yogurt with salt in the filter. Set it over a bowl and cover the top with cling film. Leave it in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
  3. Once the yogurt has achieved a very firm and creamy consistency, and you see a significant amount of liquid has dripped out, remove the labneh from your chosen straining device and transfer it to a bowl.

Roasted Garlic:

  1. Preheat your air fryer or oven to 400°F/200°C.
  2. Cut the very top off the bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves but leaving the rest unpeeled. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the garlic in a piece of kitchen foil and twist to seal it.
  3. Roast the garlic in the oven for 40-60 minutes or in the air fryer for 20-30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and caramelized. The exact time may vary depending on the size and freshness of your garlic.
  4. Be cautious when removing and opening the foil packet, as it will be very hot. Allow the roasted garlic to cool down until it’s easy to handle.
  5. Squeeze the now soft garlic cloves out of the papery skin into a small bowl. Mash them with a fork until you have a smooth puree.

Assembly:

  1. Add the mashed, roasted garlic, lemon zest, and sumac to the strained labneh in the bowl.
  2. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a fork, ensuring the roasted garlic, lemon zest, and sumac are evenly distributed throughout the labneh.
  3. Taste the labneh and adjust the seasoning to your preferences. You can add more salt or lemon zest if needed.
  4. Enjoy your Roasted Garlic Lemon Labneh with warm flatbread, fresh vegetables (crudites), on toast, or with any savoury accompaniments you typically enjoy with cream cheese. This creamy, tangy, and subtly sweet dip is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Notes

Meal Prep

Since this is simply strained Greek yoghurt with roasted garlic, this should keep for about 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
I often make this on my weekend, to have a snack with some fresh cherry tomatoes on sourdough toast for the week, as it keeps so well.

And since it mostly makes itself, you can start the preparation the day before you want it and just have 5 minutes of assembly on the day.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cooling time: 6 hours
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer, condiment, dip, spread
  • Method: Cool
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Nutrition

  • Calories: 44
  • Sugar: 2
  • Sodium: 169
  • Fat: 1
  • Saturated Fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 2
  • Fiber: 0.01
  • Protein: 6
  • Cholesterol: 3