This a stunning ‘cream cheese-like’ yoghurt that is so easy to make but you do need a little time as it needs to drip away in the fridge for at least 24 hours to give it a thick cream cheese-like consistency (or even up to 72 hours for a firmer result). I love making this, it feels like you have produced your own homemade cheese and lebneh is infinitely versatile and lends itself to both savoury and sweet flavourings.

You can play around with the added ingredients, it’s even fab served plain with a bit of sea salt and pepper, or for a bit of a kick you can add a tablespoon of harissa. It is gorgeous as a thick zatziki with fresh mint and grated cucumber or for a middle eastern vibe you can add honey, a splash of orange blossom water and crushed cardamom and serve it with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients for the labneh

400g full fat greek yoghurt (I used goats milk yoghurt)
1 clove garlic finely crushed (optional)
3 tbsp parsley & coriander chopped finely (or use herbs of your choice)
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Mix the yoghurt, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl. I poured this into a muslin bag (for soaking nuts) and suspended it over a bowl. If you don’t have a bag you can easily line a sieve with a brand new j-cloth and bring the corners and twist and tie to make a bag. Leave this in the fridge for at least 24 hours, the longer the better really.