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Heirloom tomato and Labneh salad
Salads have always been a key part of the Israeli diet, and summer veggies, when in season, can bring them to new heights. Ripe and firm summer tomatoes of all colors have the real flavor of, well, tomatoes. Any sweet tomatoes would work here but try the recipe with some combination of heirloom tomatoes for their variety of flavors and gorgeous colors.
Labneh is a strained yogurt cheese popular in the levant. It’s available at Whole Foods and Middle Eastern and Israeli markets. Alternatively, you can make it yourself by straining Greek yogurt in a cheesecloth tied on a faucet above the sink. Let it drip for about 8 hours then transfer to a container and keep in the fridge up to a week.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 159 kcal
Ingredients
- 2½ lb. heirloom tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- ½ lb. labneh see note above
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
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Slice tomatoes to wedges and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt, mix and let sit for 30 minutes for the tomato juices to accumulate at the bottom of the bowl. that’s where the real flavor is.
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You can serve the salad in four individual bowls or in one large serving bowl. Scoop labneh with an ice cream scoop and transfer to the center of the bowl. Add green onion and mint to tomatoes, drizzle generously with olive oil, taste and add salt as needed. Spoon around labneh and serve.
I grew up eating vegetables and salads for breakfast, especially in the spring and summer. Trying to get my husband into it! He loved this.
That’s so nice to hear! I should start serving this for breakfast too.