What Is Labneh and Is It Good for You?
This Middle Eastern dairy food has a tangy flavor and health benefits similar to yogurt’s
Eating fermented foods like yogurt and kefir can have a positive effect on your health, thanks in part to their beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. But there’s another less well-known source of these healthy microorganisms: labneh (also spelled labne, labaneh, and labnah). It’s a form of strained yogurt that’s thicker and tangier than Greek yogurt, a bit like a tart-tasting cream cheese. Labneh is easy to make at home but more packaged brands are appearing in supermarkets and health food stores. It’s often sold in a small tub as a dip or spread, either plain or flavored with olive oil, herbs, or spices. Here’s a closer look at the benefits of this tasty food, how to make it at home, and how to use and enjoy it.
The History of Labneh
While labneh may be a novelty to many people in the U.S., it has been enjoyed for millennia in Middle Eastern homes, particularly in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. It’s also a familiar ingredient in Mediterranean and North African cuisines.
Labneh was traditionally made by pouring yogurt into animal skin or a permeable clean cloth, then tying up the cloth and hanging it over a bowl to let the liquid whey (a protein found in milk) drain away. Salt was often added as a flavoring and preservative. This method of straining yogurt made it last longer in geographical areas with scorching temperatures and very little cold storage.
Health Benefits of Labneh
There haven’t been any labneh studies on people, according to Robert Hutkins, PhD, professor emeritus and food microbiologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But labneh is a version of yogurt, and there’s plenty of evidence showing that yogurt is good for you.
Research shows its healthy bacteria—S. thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, among others—may help keep your weight under control and lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (You have to consume at least 2 cups per week in total to fend off diabetes.) “It’s not going too far out on a limb to suggest that the benefits of labneh would be similar to those of yogurt,” Hutkins says.
A Versatile Food
Growing up with Palestinian parents, Samar Kullab, RD, a Chicago-based dietitian, remembers having breakfasts and lunches that included labneh. She recommends trying it “charcuterie-board style”: Spread labneh on a platter, top it with extra virgin olive oil, and season it with za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend that often contains thyme, oregano, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds). Use finger foods, such as cucumber spears, tomatoes, olives, and pita bread or crackers, to dip into the labneh. Or try making it part of a tapas-style meal that includes small servings of several other foods, such as hummus, baba ghanoush, and fava or white beans. “That’s the main way we eat it,” Kullab says.
Labneh sandwiches were a frequent meal for Abeer Najjar, a Palestinian chef in Los Angeles, when she was a kid. Her mother would spread labneh in a pita and add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and pickles. “It was a standard lunch that I could take to school or on trips,” she says. “It was much more common for us than peanut butter and jelly.”
How to Make Labneh
Labneh is very easy to make at home. There are two forms: labneh spread and labneh balls, according to Najjar. For both, line a strainer with cheesecloth and pour in your favorite yogurt (traditional, unstrained yogurts work better than Greek varieties). Tie the cheesecloth tightly. Place the strainer in a bowl inside the refrigerator and check it in a day or two. The labneh should have a texture like cream cheese and a tangier taste than the yogurt. You can stir in a little salt if you like, but you don’t need to. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for about a week.
To make labneh balls, leave the yogurt in the bowl for about three days, until the texture is dry and crumbly and it has a rich, tart flavor. Spread dry cheesecloth on a baking sheet, shape spoonfuls of the labneh into small balls, place them on the sheet, cover with a cloth, and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a glass container and cover the balls with extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh or dried herbs and spices (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, or chili pepper flakes) if you like. Store in the fridge for up to three months.
How to Cook With and Enjoy Labneh
In some dishes, Najjar says labneh can replace sour cream, heavy cream, mayonnaise, and other ingredients higher in saturated fat. Here are her suggestions for using spreadable labneh, plus a few for labneh balls.
• For breakfast, instead of using cream cheese, spread labneh on a piece of toast and top it with veggies.
• Experiment with adding it to homemade salad dressings, like ranch dressing, in place of cream, yogurt, or mayo.
• Try using it to make a creamy pasta sauce. “I’ll sauté vegetables or some garlic, maybe throw in some tomatoes, and then throw in a scoop of labneh with a little water to make it creamy,” Najjar says.
• Add labneh to lamb or chicken marinades for a hit of tangy flavor.
• In spinach dip recipes, replace half the mayo with labneh to reduce the fat and help prevent the dip from separating when heated.
• Use it as a base for tzatziki with cucumber, dill, and garlic. (It will be less runny than if you use yogurt.)
• Switch out yogurt for labneh in a fruit smoothie.
• For an appetizer, roll labneh balls in sesame seeds or fresh-chopped herbs, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy with sliced vegetables or pita chips.
• Add labneh balls to a salad instead of goat cheese or another type of cheese.
