Yogurt cheese couldn't be easier to make

Yogurt cheese is a fantastic idea for breakfast, a quick dinner, a snack or mezza. Labneh, labne or labaneh as it's called in Arabic, is very popular in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.

Yogurt cheese drizzled with olive oil

The consistency of labne is creamy. It reminds a little bit of philadelphia cream cheese. You can make it at home with no hassle and no time, and you'll always have fresh healthy cheese. A good yoghurt, or laban as it's called in Arabic, and salt are the two ingredients you need.

Generally, this yogurt cheese was made with ewe's milk, but if you don't have sheep's milk, use cow's milk, it also tastes great. In Lebanon, when labneh is made of goat milk it's called anbariz.

For making labneh, the yogurt should be full cream yogurt. And if you don't make your own yoghurt, try to buy the best you can find.

Ingredients for this yogurt cheese recipe

Yields about 2 cups

• 6 cups full cream laban or yogurt
• 2 teaspoons salt

Kitchen tools

• A chees cloth or muslin cloth
• A large bowl
• A whisk or fork

Labneh recipe preparation method

Preparation time: 5 minutes (plus 12 hours for draining)
Cooking time: 0 minutes

1. Put the yogurt in a large bowl. Add the salt and beat it for a few minutes with a whisk or a fork.


2. Line a colander with the cheesecloth or muslin cloth. If you want to capture the whey, put the colander inside a large bowl, otherwise, put it in the sink.


3. Slowly pour the beaten yogurt. Gather up the corners of the cloth and tie up with a piece of string. Suspend over a bowl to collect the whey that drips.


4. Leave it to drain for 12 hours. Straining it overnight is great. You have fresh yogurt cheese in the morning.