Labneh Balls in Herb Oil

Tangy labneh rolled into balls and marinated in herby olive oil. These sit in your fridge looking gorgeous and get eaten with everything.

Appetizers · Prep 20 min · Serves 8 · Easy · By Tina · Published

Labneh Balls in Herb Oil - appetizers recipe

Ingredients

  • 500 g Greek yogurt, full-fat, strained 24-48 hours
  • 300 ml olive oil, good quality
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 0.5 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 strip lemon zest
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp salt

These little labneh balls are the kind of thing that makes your fridge look like a Mediterranean deli. You roll strained yogurt into balls, drop them in a jar of olive oil with herbs, garlic, and chili, and let them marinate for at least a day.

The result is these tangy, creamy little bites that are incredible on bread, in salads, on pasta, or just eaten straight from the jar with a fork when nobody is looking. Which I do frequently.

The infused oil is almost as good as the labneh — use it for dipping bread or drizzling over grilled vegetables.

Pro Tips

  • Strain Greek yogurt through cheesecloth for 24-48 hours. The longer you strain, the firmer the balls.
  • Roll with lightly oiled hands to prevent sticking.
  • Use good olive oil — it is doing a lot of work here.
  • The labneh improves the longer it sits in the oil. A week is even better than a day.

Serving

Serve the balls with the herby oil, warm bread, olives, and sliced tomatoes. This is the ultimate appetizer spread with zero cooking required.

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