Name: Labneh Dip with Pomegranate
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 24 h
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds; 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (we used California Olive Ranch); 1/2 teaspoon dried sage; Crackers or crostini, to serve

This labneh dip with pomegranate is a delicious party dip recipe for entertaining. Made with strained yogurt, it’s reminiscent of cream cheese.

Labneh Dip with Pomegranate | Labneh cheese | Strained yogurt

This labneh dip with pomegrante recipe is sponsored by California Olive Ranch. All opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a simple party appetizer, we’ve got your back. This dip is Alex’s brainchild; thickened Greek yogurt (called labneh or labneh cheese), sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, bright yellow olive oil, and sage. Thickening the yogurt overnight makes it creamier and even more tangy. Contrasted with the sweet burst of the pomegranate seeds and fruity olive oil, it’s a winner in our book. The only advanced planning needed is thickening the yogurt; it takes 24 hours. Otherwise it’s incredibly easy to put together: spread on a plate, sprinkle with the toppings, and enjoy with crackers (like these homemade crackers!), bread or crostini. Keep reading for the labneh dip recipe.

Benefits of olive oil

We developed this recipe using olive oil from California Olive Ranch. You can absolutely taste the difference in quality olive oil, so use the best quality oil you can find here. And interesting enough, there are many benefits to including olive oil in your diet, including preventing some cancers, promoting heart health, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing risk of diabetes. Though fat has gotten a bad rap in the past, research is increasingly showing that healthy fats are actually good and can help you manage your weight, fight stress, improve mood swings, and decrease mental fatigue. All that to say, that drizzle topping doesn’t just taste great; it’s also good for your body.

How to make labneh dip

So what is labneh? Labneh is simply strained yogurt, sometimes called labneh cheese or yogurt cheese. To make this thick, strained cheese you’ll need to stir some salt into a container of plain yogurt. Whole milk yogurt works best for this labneh recipe since it’s thicker than nonfat yogurt and has a lot more flavor. Once you’ve stirred the salt into the yogurt, you pour it into a cheesecloth and tie it onto a wooden spoon. Suspend the spoon over the mouth of a pitcher and place it into the fridge for a full 24 hours to give the whey plenty of time to separate from the yogurt. After 24 hours have passed, you should be left with a thick, creamy labneh.

This labneh dip is nothing other than labneh cheese spread onto a plate and topped with pomegranate seeds, olive oil and dried sage. It sounds deceptively simple, but the sweet pomegranate against the savory creamy labneh cheese and the fruity olive oil makes for a super delicious party dip recipe.

Simple entertaining ideas and party dip recipes are always at the top of our list during the holidays; we’d love to hear your ideas! What are your favorites for stress-free entertaining?

Listen

Listen to our olive oil tasting with California Olive Ranch on the A Couple Cooks Podcast.

This labneh dip recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.