I’d like to think this Roasted Tomatoes with Labneh, Lemon and Olive Oil is a dish for any season and any occasion. I love how just a few ingredients can yield something so delicious.
In my post earlier this year looking at the Most Popular Recipes of 2023, labneh appeared twice. Once in the form of Ottolenghi’s Lemon Labneh Posset and my recipe of How to make Labneh I published back in 2014. Ottolenghi is the inspiration for this Roasted Tomatoes with Labneh recipe, coming from his book Simple where he made it with yoghurt. The secret to the recipe is that the labneh (or yoghurt) is ice cold and the roasted tomatoes are piping hot. The tasty play of cold vs hot is in a way similar to the fantastic Turkish recipe of Fried Eggs in Garlicky Yoghurt with Feta Cheese.
Making labneh is super easy, all it is is yoghurt strained in a cheesecloth for 24 hours or so until most of the whey has drained. It yields a thick cream cheese like consistency while still preserving that yoghurt tang. An ingredient used in the Levant for thousands of years, I love using it. You can view some recipe ideas by clicking on this link. But if time is an issue, go ahead and make the recipe with double cream yoghurt.
Once you have your ice cold labneh and piping hot tomatoes sorted, the dressing is super simple. A good glug of olive oil, lemon zest to give it a zesty lift and some fresh herbs such a dill or basil. A fresh grind of black pepper will be perfect too. You can jazz it up with some smoked chilli flakes, Aleppo pepper if you have, or some zesty sumac for more of that lemon flavour.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Roasted Tomatoes with Labneh, Lemon and Olive Oil. Remember to share your pics with me on Instagram when you’ve made it.
