This labneh recipe is part of a series I share each month: Israeli Recipes in Translation.
Israeli Recipes in Translation is a monthly series that brings authentic Israeli recipes—often shared only in Hebrew—into English. Each recipe is selected and translated to help bridge the gap between Israeli home kitchens and readers in the diaspora. Alongside each dish, I’ll share its cultural context, seasonal significance, or the personal story behind it. This is my way of staying connected to Israel—and inviting you to do the same, one recipe at a time.
By translating and sharing these recipes, I hope to bridge the gap—so we can all join the conversation, celebrate Israeli food culture, and bring these flavors into our own kitchens.
Each recipe will be introduced with a bit of background—what season or holiday the dish is typically eaten during, which ethnic group or groups make the dish, and sometimes, as in this case, a personal story about how the recipe came to be served at the author’s table.
As always, I’d love to hear any suggestions or feedback you have!
Labneh (also labne, labneh) is a thick, tangy strained yogurt—often described as a yogurt cheese—made by draining whey from plain yogurt until creamy and spreadable. It has a creamy texture—somewhere between Greek yogurt and cream cheese. The longer it’s strained, the thicker it becomes. Very thick labane can even be shaped into balls and preserved in olive oil. Labane is high in protein and calcium and is a great
probiotic food. It’s commonly seasoned with salt, olive oil, za’atar, herbs, or garlic and used as a dip, spread, sandwich filling, or as part of mezze.
Most importantly- it is delicious. If you’ve never tried labane before, you’re in for a treat that is so simple to make!
This simple recipe comes from the website In My Kitchen created by couple Erez and Natali Glucko. Erez is a professional painter who became a professional chef. He also is a tour guide in the North of Israel and offers food tours in Haifa. Natali is a naturopath, therapist and nutrition and good eating habits guide. She is also the owner of the brand “Natalie’s Infusions”
Fermentation note: Labneh is made from yogurt, which is a fermented dairy product created by bacterial cultures. The straining step concentrates the yogurt but doesn’t require additional fermentation. So labneh is a strained fermented product: it contains the original yogurt’s live cultures (if you start with unpasteurized/live-culture or “probiotic” yogurt) and is therefore probiotic‑rich, but the labneh itself isn’t further fermented during draining.
Labneh Recipe
Ingredients:
1.5 liters plain, unsweetened, full‑fat yogurt (whole‑milk).
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Equipment / cloth options:
Strainer and bowl
One of: cheesecloth (1–2 layers), nut‑milk bag, fine mesh straining bag, clean lint‑free cotton dish or tea towel, or a brand‑new/clean 100% cotton cloth diaper (no creams/residues). If using any cloth, launder without fabric softener or bleach and rinse well.
Instructions:
Place the strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer with your chosen cloth (cheesecloth, nut‑milk bag, tea towel, or clean cotton diaper).
Pour in the yogurt, add 1 tsp salt and (optional) 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Mix gently so salt and lemon are evenly distributed.
Fold the cloth over the yogurt and place the whole setup in the refrigerator.
Drain for at least 8 hours; 12–24 hours will yield thicker labneh. Occasionally lift the cloth and empty whey from the bowl so the yogurt can continue to drain.
When thickened to your liking, transfer labneh to a container. Store in the refrigerator up to about 1–2 weeks.
Notes:
Full‑fat yogurt gives the creamiest labneh; Greek yogurt shortens drain time.
Ensure any cloth used is clean and free of detergent or cream residues for safety and best flavor.
This labneh recipe is a simple, low‑tech way to make real food from scratch and see your kitchen as a place for hands‑on cooking and preservation. Using plain whole fat yogurt and a strainer turns a basic ingredient into a versatile, high‑protein spread—no special equipment or skills required—and it’s a gateway to other fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, sourdough).
To our health & inspiration
Kenden
