Preserved labneh balls had always been something I was fascinated with as a child every time I passed through the cheese aisles in the grocery stores of Beirut. Little colourful balls of creamy strained yogurt, perfectly preserved in Mason jars, made the aisle look like something out of Willy Wonka’s factory. I’ve always loved them simply spread on a toasted piece of pita bread with a side of fresh Lebanese cucumbers. They are traditionally enjoyed as part of the Lebanese breakfast spread, but who’s to say they wouldn’t level up your cheeseboard game?
Ingredients
- 4 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chili flakes
- 1/4 cup thyme
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
Instructions
Fit a fine-mesh strainer into a deep bowl and line it with two layers of cheesecloth. In a separate bowl, mix the plain Greek yogurt with the salt then slowly pour it into the lined strainer. Allow your salted yogurt to strain in your fridge for at least 24 hours. The longer you allow the yogurt to strain, the thicker the labneh will be. A thicker labneh will roll easier into balls.
Once the labneh reaches the desired consistency, roll it into bite-sized balls and let them rest for an hour in the refrigerator.
Allowing them to rest uncovered in the refrigerator will firm up the labneh balls enough to roll them easily in the chili flakes and fresh thyme.
Place the flavoured labneh balls in a clean, dry Mason jar and pour the extra-virgin olive oil and sunflower oil on top, making sure you submerge the labneh balls in oil. Preserved labneh balls last for up to 6 months refrigerated in an airtight container.
