Making vegan labneh with soy yogurt is easy and simple. This Middle Eastern treasure can spice up your cheese boards and can be enjoyed as a quick snack with toast or rice cakes.
Unfortunately, making vegan labneh with store-bought plant-based yogurt is next to impossible. This is because many, if not all, brands use a myriad of thickeners in their yogurt to improve their texture. While this makes them more palatable alongside granola and jam, it doesn’t translate well to straining.
Therefore I’d highly recommend making your own yogurt at home. You can follow my comprehensive yogurt guide for results as pictured. Otherwise, try to find a flavorful store-bought version without thickeners. If you do find one in the U.S., please let me know because I’ve been searching forever!
What You Need to Make Vegan Labneh
You will need the following:
- plant-based yogurt (or store-bought variety without any thickeners)
- cheesecloth (or cotton dishcloth)
- optional: fine mesh strainer
How to Make Labneh from Yogurt
- Use two layers of cheesecloth and a mesh colander to strain—you can also use a linen napkin or pretty much any large enough piece of cotton fabric.
- Leave this in the fridge to separate the whey for about 48 hours. That’s it! Delicious labneh cheese.
- Once ready, it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Ideas to Enjoy Homemade Vegan Labneh:
You can serve this delicious labneh with:
- extra virgin olive oil, zaatar spice blend, and olives– with toast or pita on the side. It is so so good.
- mix it with crushed garlic and lemon juice for a dip (some even use this as a ketchup substitution!)
- salads & cooked greens (dollops of labneh & grilled peach on a bed of arugula… mm)
- alongside zucchini fritters
- baked potatoes
- smear onto sandwiches to substitute mayo
- enjoy it sweet with granola, fruit, & nuts
See how to make it step-by-step and some ideas in this video:
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!
You can also save it for later on Pinterest, and keep in touch with me on YouTube, Instagram, or by sending an email.
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Vegan Labneh with Almond or Soy Yogurt
- Prep Time: 48 hours
- Total Time: 48 hours
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Making vegan labneh with soy yogurt is easy and simple. This Middle Eastern treasure can spice up your cheese boards and can be enjoyed as a quick snack with toast or rice cakes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups plant-based yogurt (or store-bought variety without any thickeners)
Instructions
- Use two layers of cheesecloth and a mesh colander to strain—you can also use a linen napkin or pretty much any large enough piece of cotton fabric.
- Leave this in the fridge to separate the whey for about 48 hours. That’s it! Delicious labneh cheese.
- Once ready, it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
enjoy with:
- extra virgin olive oil, zaatar spice blend, and olives– with toast or pita on the side. It is so so good.
- mix it with crushed garlic and lemon juice for a dip
- salads & cooked greens (dollops of labneh & grilled peach on a bed of arugula… mm)
- alongside zucchini fritters
- baked potatoes
- smear onto sandwiches to substitute mayo
- enjoy it sweet with granola, fruit, & nuts
Notes
If you don’t own a mesh colander, you can also tie up the cheesecloth and hang it up, hovering above the bowl to collect the whey.
You can also use a special Greek yogurt strainer like this one for less waste and convenience.
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