Kitchen and Other Stories

  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Main Course Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Healthy Salad Recipes
  • Side Dishes & Snacks
  • Dessert & Drink Recipes
  • Kitchen Skills & Hacks
  • Foraging & Sustainable Living
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Main Course Recipes
  • Side Dishes & Snacks
  • Dessert & Drink Recipes
  • Healthy Salad Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Foraging & Sustainable Living
  • Kitchen Skills & Hacks
×
Home » Healthy Salad Recipes

Homemade Dairy Free Labneh With Baby Carrots and Walnuts

Published: Aug 18, 2021 · Modified: Jan 2, 2023 by Chef Tripti · This post may contain affiliate links

↓ Jump to Recipe
Pin the Recipe

My challenge: To make a dairy free Labneh

Labneh is a creamy yoghurt cheese from the Middle East. Yoghurt from cow's milk is hung in muslin cloth overnight to remove the whey. As a result, Labneh is produced with a consistency between yoghurt and cheese. Using this process, the sour yoghurt taste is retained. Different flavours are obtained from different types of milk, for instance, goat, sheep, or even camel!

Jump to:
  • Creating A Dairy Free Labneh
  • How-To Video
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Ingredient Variations
  • Storage
A plate of dairy free labnah garnished with walnut and accompanied by baby carrots
Dairy Free Labneh with Baby Carrots And Walnuts

Creating A Dairy Free Labneh

This dairy free Labneh had to retain the thick creamy texture and sour taste. I experimented with coconut and soy yoghurt but they simply did not have the sour taste of the dairy yogurt, nor the desired creaminess. Another problem with store bought vegan yoghurt is, most brands use a myriad of ingredients to thicken the yoghurt, to improve the texture.

Back to the drawing board. I then tried oat milk yoghurt.

Success!

Achieving the texture and taste with vegan yoghurt was indeed a challenge. Coconut or soy yoghurt simply don't lend themselves well to straining. I contemplated making my own yoghurt to achieve that thick creaminess. However, I decided to give one more option a go: Oat milk yoghurt. For this dairy free Labneh, I used Oatly (this in not a product placement!) Much to my amazement the yoghurt held well after straining and I hardly had any whey or liquid drain compared to dairy yoghurt. To be perfectly honest, I could hardly tell the difference between dairy and dairy free yoghurt Labneh. The straining process takes about four and a half hours.

There are so many ways you can pimp up your Labneh. For this recipe I decided to use saffron. Saffron not only gives it that warm golden hue, it also gives it a delicate taste similar to honey.

By adding the elderflower vinegar to the olive oil for the roasting of the baby carrots, floral notes were introduced to the flavour. You can make elderflower vinegar from the flowers of elderflower, however, the flowering season has now passed. Never fear though, you can buy if from Bellow Wild Food, my favourite wild food product seller!

A sprinkling of chopped walnuts to the Labneh adds some texture and introduces an earthy flavour.

This dairy free Labneh would make a great side dish, tapas appetiser or snack. Why not slice some fresh sourdough bread to enjoy with it.

If you liked the Labneh, then head on over to my Labneh with grilled Broccoli and baked feta.

How-To Video

Here is a visual guide to the dairy free Labneh with bay carrots and walnuts

Dairy Free Labneh With Baby Carrots & Walnuts

📖 Recipe

A plate of dairy free labnah garnished with walnut and accompanied by baby carrots

Dairy Free Homemade Labneh With Baby Carrots & Walnuts

Chef Tripti
A Dairy free alternative to the classic Labneh. Accompaned by baby carrots roasted in elderflower vinegar. A delicious starter, side dish or snack.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Hanging Yoghurt 4 hours hrs
Total Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Muslin cloth

Ingredients
  

  • 300 gms Baby carrots
  • 250 gms Greek style Oat yoghurt I used Oatly. After straining you should be left with 200 gms Labneh
  • A few Walnuts crushed between your fingers
  • 1 tablespoon Elderflower Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • Saffron, a few strands warmed in a teaspoon of hot water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • a few sprigs of parsley

Instructions
 

  • Place a double layered muslin cloth over a fine strainer, set over a bowl.
  • Transfer the yoghurt onto the centre of the muslin cloth. Bring all four sides of the cloth onto the centre and tie the ends, not too tightly. This will prevent the air from getting in.
  • Set aside the yoghurt in the fridge for a minimun of 4 hours. You can either leave it on top of the sieve with a bowl underneath or hang it in the fridge with a bowl underneath to catch the whey.
  • Peel carrots and add olive oil, elderflower vinegar, salt and pepper and roast in oven at 200ºC for about 20 minutes. Once ready, set aside to cool.
  • Remove Labneh from muslin cloth and transfer to a bowl. Season with some salt. Add saffron strands to a bowl and a teaspoon of warm water, this will release the colour and flavour of the saffron. add this water and saffron mix to the labneh and mix well.
  • To serve, transfer Labneh to a plate. Add some good quality extra virgin olive oil. ( optional, but highly recommended ), some freshly ground pepper. Now crush some walnuts between your fingers and sprinkle over the Labneh. Finally add your roasted baby carrots and garnish with parsley spigs.
  • Serve with a side of either sourdough or pita bread.
Keyword healthy, salad, simple, vegan
Tried this recipe?Please leave a review & rating
Mention @kitchenandotherstories or tag #kitchenandotherstories!

Ingredient Variations

Of course, if you prefer, you can use a dairy yoghurt. Choose a full fat Greek Yoghurt.

If you are unable to get hold of elderflower vinegar, I would recommend using apple cider vinegar.

Storage

If stored in a an airtight container, this dairy free Labneh can stay in the fridge for up to three days. Possibly longer, however my recommendation is three days. If you do decide to keep it longer, then I recommend storing it covered with olive oil, like we do in professional kitchens based on health and safety guidance.

More Salad Recipes

  • Pico de gallo salsa with watermelon and cucumber in a hollowed coconut half shell. Surrounded by tortilla chips.
    The Best Pico De Gallo With Watermelon and Cucumber
  • A plateful of vegan duck and water melon salad with a bunch of coriander in the background.
    The Best Vegan Recipe For Asian 'Duck' And Watermelon salad
  • Black eyed pea hummus on a plate garnished with sumac, mint leaves and pomegranate seeds
    Simple Recipe For Black Eyed Pea Hummus From Scratch
  • A small bottle of sloe flavoured balsamic vinegar. 
    How To Make Sloe Flavoured Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog author behind lavender plant
Chef Tripti

Hi! Tripti here. I am a Michelin-trained chef with over 20 years of experience in the industry. My mission is to help you cook fresh, nutritious food with simple recipes that deliver creativity and taste—food with heart and soul.

More about me →

Wild Edible Plant Recipes For Home Cooking

Discover the flavours of nature with these easy yet delicious and nutritious recipes, using edible wild plants like Wild Garlic, Nettle, and Elderflower.

  • Hand holding a whicker basket containing foraged dandelion, ground ivy, garlic mustard and nettle.
    Food For Free: Eat The Weeds!
  • 11 Wild Garlic and Other Foraged Wild Greens Recipes
  • Shallow dish containing saag aloo and a flat bread.
    Easy One-Pot Saag Aloo With Nettle Leaves
  • A plate containing Patte Ki Chaat made with nettle leaves.
    How To Use Nettle Leaves - Make Patte Ki Chaat
  • Close up of a shallow black dish containing sliced pickled walnuts.
    How To Make Pickled Green Walnuts
  • Four Elderflower and strawberry ice lollies stacked on a small dish sat upon a log.
    Easy Homemade Elderflower And Strawberry Ice lolly
  • A bottle of elderflower cordial on a wooden platter surrounded by elderflower leaves.
    Elderflower Cordial. Homemade Cordial In A Few Simple Steps
  • A shallow dish containing lilac nice cream, and two cones with nice cream sat in a stoneware cup next to the dish.
    A Taste of Springtime: Lilac Flower Nice Cream
  • A Pitcher with cleavers infusing in water, and a glass of cleaver infused detox water
    Spring Foraging: Detox With Cleaver Infused Water
  • a small yellow dish containing pickled plums. A jar containing pickled pickled plums in olive oil sits next to it.
    How To Cure And Pickle Green Plums Like Olives.
  • A glass of sparkling flowering currant cordial.
    Easy Homemade Flowering Currant Cordial Recipe

Footer

↑ back to top

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Terms of use
  • Cookie Policy

Connect

  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Contact

  • Contact / Work With Me

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Copyright © 2025 Kitchen And Other Stories

Foodie Pro theme from Feast Design Co. Built on Genesis Framework. Powered by Wordpress

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required