Labneh Balls
Labneh balls, or fresh shanklish, are a Levantine staple, very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. This yogurt-based cheese is made by straining Greek yogurt until thickened, then rolling into balls and coating with herbs and spices. They're delicious as a snack or part of a meze!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 33 hr 46 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 cups Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil (- As needed)
- Za'atar, Aleppo chili flakes, dried mint, sumac
Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine the yogurt and salt. Mix well.
- 2
Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of cheesecloth, so that it overhangs on the sides. Place the sieve over a large bowl. Transfer the salted yogurt to the cheesecloth-lined sieve.
- 3
Take the overhanging edges of the cheesecloth and fold them over the yogurt. Place the bowl in your refrigerator for 24-48 hours to drain. Check on your yogurt every 12 hours and discard the liquid in the bowl.
- 4
When your yogurt has thickened (transformed into labneh), it is time to make the labneh balls.
- 5
Lightly oil your hands with olive oil. Using a spoon or your fingers, take 2-3 tablespoons of labneh and roll into a ball. Transfer the ball to a plate or tray. Repeat with remaining labneh. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap overnight so that the balls can firm up even further.
- 6
Optional - At this point, you can preserve your labneh balls in oil for future use. In a wide mouth jar, carefully place the formed labneh balls and cover with olive oil. Don't use expensive olive oil for this. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- 7
Place your desired herb blends and spices in small, shallow bowls. Working with one labneh ball at a time, carefully coat with the desired flavoring. If the spice or herb blends don't adhere to the labneh balls, coat them with a small amount of olive oil first.
- 8
Serve labneh balls with pita, crackers, crudite. They can be served for breakfast, for a quick snack or as part of a charcuterie board.