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Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping

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You simply cannot miss out on this Labneh. It’s a Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping! Sprinkled with fresh pomegranate seeds and served with pita chips – this easy labneh recipe is the perfect appetizer or can be served as part of a mezze platter drenched in Moroccan Olive Oil.

A plate of labneh dip topped with zaatar and a hand holding pita chips dipping it in the dip

This Labneh Dip is the best, most flavorful and lightest way to dip! It’s creamy and smooth with a flavor packed Toppings and homemade Zaatar chips. Sharing this recipe today in partnership with my friends at MINA – Suppliers of authentic Moroccan Olive oil and products.

Here’s a quick video about the labneh recipe and let’s break down the post into key topics. The labneh making, the labneh recipe, the zaatar pita chips and my favorite Mina Moroccan Olive Oil to top labneh.

 

 

Aside from Labneh and how lovely it is, I need to also mention that this Whipped Feta dip is life changing!! Must try!

LABNEH RECIPE

This easy refreshing Labneh Recipe is made overnight but it keeps in your fridge for a month. While there are so many ways to enjoy Labneh, even just plain, I prefer a rich toping.

Ingredients to make labneh with a zaatar topping using moroccan olive oil, zaatar, pistachio, mint, and pomegranate

So I top this recipe with a Zaatar Pistachio Olive Mint topping. Once you try this recipe, you’ll know why it’s SUPER popular on Pinterest!  So much flavor,  freshness and punch to a classic Middle Eastern appetizer.

There’s something special a silky smooth tangy labneh contrasted with fresh mint, salty olives, crunchy pistachios, sweet pomegranate and rounded up in plenty of zaatar and Moroccan olive oil! OMG, seriously you can not miss this labneh recipe!

Close-up of Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping running down the sides and a pool of olive oil gathering in front of it.

So let’s to it!

LABNEH

So have you ever tried labneh or at least heard of it??!! It’s a popular condiment/cheese in Turkey and the Middle east which is now becoming ever so popular in the US as well! 

WHAT IS LABNEH?

Labneh is a thick tangy paste like cheese that’s either made from scratch or made the easy way (below) using strained yogurt.

It has the texture of dry sour cream or Greek yogurt, but it has a more tangy and saltier taste. You can find ready made labneh at Middle Eastern stores, and you can absolutely make it from scratch. Here’s how. 

HOW TO MAKE LABNEH

If you’re in the mood for making labneh from scratch, it’s super easy.

a big bowl of yogurt to be strained for labneh making

Start with the Yogurt. Any type of quality yogurt works, Greek or not. Make sure it’s your favorite type though because that’s how your Labneh will taste eventually. 

Next you’ll be straining the yogurt to remove any moisture out.

A sieve placed over a large bowl to help srain the yogurt to make labneh recipe

For that you have two options.

A cheese cloth on a marble board which is used to strain the yogurt and make labneh

Use a cheese cloth to strain the yogurt over a sieve.

a pillowcase on a marble board which is the best way to make labneh!!

Or better off: use a pillowcase. YES. A pillowcase does wonders in Labneh making! I learned this trick from a professional Labneh maker on instagram 🙂 Make sure the pillowcase is cotton!

yogurt and salt added to the pillowcase to strain to make the labneh dip

Simply pour the yogurt mixed with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the pillow case. Squeeze it out as best as you can to remove any moisture from the yogurt. 

A hand squeezing the pillowcase very strongly to remove the water out of the yogurt

Place the pillowcase with squeezed yogurt over the sieve overnight in the fridge squeezing as often as you can.

excess water at the bottom of the bowl from the strained labneh

Now remove the sieve and you’ll have the excess water, which you don’t need so discard that.

the labneh cheese ready in a pillow and dried out perfectly

You’l find that your yogrut has turned into a dry thick creamy paste like tangy cheese called Labneh!

Finished labneh spread on a plate and ready for the topping

Depending on the type of yogurt (greek for example takes less time to strain), this takes anywhere from 8-24 hours. 

A top view of a full labneh dip platter with zaatar pita chips

Now let’s make the chips!

PITA CHIPS

The easies thing to make when you’re out of crackers is Pita chips. They take less than 8 minutes in the oven and come out super crisp super thin and packed with flavor. You can probably flavor the pita chips endlessly, but using zaatar is my favorite way!

You’ll need quality olive oil here to taste the flavor of Zaatar, pita chips and even Labneh! I love Mina’s Moroccan Olive Oil. Here’s why!

bottle of moroccan olive oil near a bowl of zaatar

MOROCCAN OLIVE OIL

  • Mina is a Moroccan olive oil single sourced, meaning the olives pressed into the olive oil are sourced from ONE origin only: Morocco. 
  • As natural as this may sound, the truth is, it’s absolutely rare to find a single sourced olive oil in the market! Each bottle is usually sourced from different origins with zero traceability.
  • Mina Olive Oil is fully traceable.
  • Moroccan Olive is the richest is Polyphenols.
  • Polyphenols are the reason why we love olive oil! It’s the antioxidant that makes olive oil so uniquely helathy.
  • After many studies, research has shown that Moroccan olive oil is the richest in terms of polyphenols.
  • Moroccan olive oil is SO tasty! Mina’s Olive oil tastes like PURE olives!
  • Because of it’s high polyphenol content, Mina’s olive oil is great for cooking and baking–not just for salads and toppings!
  • One of my favorite cakes which remind me of my Turkish Grandma is this ever so popular Olive Oil Cake. Make sure to try it!
  • Also don’t miss on this delicious and crowd pleasing Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing.
  • Get Your Mina Moroccan Olive oil and TRY the difference yourself.

WHAT IS ZAATAR

A large bowl of zaatar spice

So how about the Zaatar spice? This spice blend is one of my favorites!

Its basically a combination of toasted dried thyme leaves, sesame seeds, salt and lemony sumac spice (a fabulous lemon tasting flower spice which I used in this lemon artichoke garlic roast chicken with salsa, this Turkish style chicken skewers, Turkish pizza Lahmacun, and Ultimate lamb kabab platter)

These days, you should be able to find it in pretty much every grocery store and definitely in all specialty stores, spice stores and Middle Eastern stores.

Zaatar tastes of thyme, lemon and sesame! It’s mostly used as a condiment, sprinkled over cheese, pizzas, salads, breads, dips and more.

I can’t say I would like you to substitute anything for Zaatar in this recipe. If you absolutely MUST, then toast following ingredients in a skillet over low heat:

Zaatar Mix:

  • 1/3 cup of dried thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon of sumac spice and
  • 1/8 the teaspoon of salt

Toast these spices for about 1.5 mins until fragrant and toasty.

MAKE PITA CHIPS

You’ll start bu cutting off your pita chips into wedges.

Best way to do that is to cut each pita bread in half, and then cut each half into three wedges. Another thing is to separate the layers in your pita bread. That way you have paper thin chips.

A bottle of Moroccan olive oil, zaatar spice and zaatar spice

Gather the Moroccan Olive Oil and Zaatar and salt. 

a spoon showing off moroccan olive oil blended with zaatar in a bowl

Take a brush and thoroughly brush the chips with a mixture of the Mina Moroccan olive oil and zaatar spice.

Bake the chips at 350 for 6-7 minutes until crisp.

pita bread cut into wedges over a baking tray, brushed with zaatar olive oil and ready to bake for chips

Now that you’ve got the labneh done, chips done, we can talk the labneh dip itself!

Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping and pomegranate seeds served on a silver platter with a side of zaatar-dusted pita chips and ice tea.

LABNEH DIP 

The labneh dip is basically a spread of labneh over a plate that gets loaded with different toppings!
 
toppings for labneh dip including zaatar, olives, mint, pomegranates, pistachios and olive oil
 
In a small bowl, add in the chopped mint, pistachios, olives, pepper flakes, zaatar spice, pepper flakes, zaatar and olive oil. Mix the topping ingredients well.

To make life easier, you can absolutely combine the topping ingredients in a food processor. I like to chop them because I love a chunky texture and feel to them. And it really just takes a minute—because you’re not chopping large batches of anything, just a couple of tablespoons of each and they all get chopped up together.

Spread your labneh (or Greek yogurt) on a flat plate mounding the labneh to about an inch high.
 
A hand spooning over the toppings over the spread out labneh over a serving plate with the pita chips
Spoon the topping ingredients over the top of the labneh and allow it to drip from the sides.
 
A hand sprinkling some pomegranate seeds
Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top. Serve with pita chips.

HOW TO SERVE LABNEH

This gorgeously delicious labneh dip with zaatar pistachio olive mint topping and pita chips is MY absolute favorite! 

But there are other ways to enjoy labneh:

a crispy pita chip just dipped into a creamy white labneh dip topped with zaatar pistachio topping and pomegranate seeds.

  • With veggie sticks.
  • Contrast it with some sweet fruits!
  • Use it as a spread on your sandwiches.
  • Dollop it over your salads!
  • Try a spoon in your soups for a creamy tangy note.
  • Pair it with eggs.

LABNEH TIPS

  • You can buy labneh at Middle Eastern Stores or make your own. To make your own follow step by step instructions above and video.
  • Always start with your favorite type of yogurt.
  • A pillowcase is best to strain the labneh, better than a cheesecloth.
  • Depending if you start with Greek yogurt or regular yogurt , you may need to strain it for 8-12 hours.
  • Salting the yogurt before straining is key.
  • Topping is to your taste–the combo of zaatar, mint, olives, pistachios and pomegranate is a contrast of sweet, salty, soft, chewy, crunchy and delicious.
  • Use Mina’s Moroccan Olive oil for its’ quality, taste and rich polyphenols. 
  • Make pita chips and store them in a ziploc ahead of time– up to a week in advance.\
  • You can opt for sa simple sat and olive oil flavored pita chip, it’s still delicious!
  • See section on how else to serve labneh.
  • Labneh recipe keeps in the fridge for minimum of 2 weeks.
  • The pita chips keep for a week.
  • ENJOY

Make this labbneh dip for your game day, potluck, snacks and more!

Some Q&A on Labneh!

What is Labneh made of?

Classically, like all cheeses labneh is made out of cooking milk and straining the it. However you can absolutely make labneh using only yogurt and straining it as well. 

What is the difference between Labneh and yogurt?

While some may interchange labneh and Greek yogrut since it’s ultra thick, however they’re not quite the same. Labneh is saltier and tangier in taste. It’s also used savory and never sweet like we may often use yogurt.

Is Labneh good for you?

Labneh is a good source of protein and probiotics so absolutely YES! 
 
A plate of labneh dip topped with zaatar and a hand holding pita chips dipping it in the dip
4.43 from 71 votes
Print

Labneh Dip with Olive Topping

You simply cannot miss out on this Labneh. It's a Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping! Sprinkled with fresh pomegranate seeds and served with pita chips - this easy labneh recipe is the perfect appetizer or can be served as part of a mezze platter drenched in Moroccan Olive Oil.

Course Appetizer, Dips, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword how to make labneh, labneh, labneh dip, labneh recipe, Moroccan olive oil, pita chips, zaatar
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 440 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

For the dip:

  • 2 cups labneh (store-bought or home-made) replace that with 3 cups yogurt to make it from scratch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (toasted preferably but optional)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pitted Kalamata olives
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 cup Zaatar spice
  • 2/3 cup Mina's Moroccan Olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

For the Zaatar Pita Chips:

  • 2 large Pita breads (not Greek style) cut up into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons Zaatar spice
  • 1/4 cup Mina's Moroccan Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Start by Making the labneh. Use quality yogurt and mix that with salt.

    a big bowl of yogurt to be strained for labneh making

  2. A cheesecloth or ideally a pillow case is best used to strain the labneh.

    a pillowcase on a marble board which is the best way to make labneh!!

  3. Place the yogurt salt mix in the pillowcase.

    yogurt and salt added to the pillowcase to strain to make the labneh dip

  4. squeeze out as much moisture as possible .

    A hand squeezing the pillowcase very strongly to remove the water out of the yogurt

  5. place that over a sieve over a bowl and let it strain overnight or at least 8 hours.

    A sieve placed over a large bowl to help srain the yogurt to make labneh recipe

  6. The labneh cheese is ready when it's trained and dried out.

    the labneh cheese ready in a pillow and dried out perfectly

  7. Make the pita chips.

  8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Cut up each pita bread into 8 wedges and then separate the 2 layers of the pita bread giving you 16 wedges in total per bread.

  9. In a small bowl, mix the zaatar spice and olive oil.

    a spoon showing off moroccan olive oil blended with zaatar in a bowl

  10. Lay the pita bread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush them with the Zaatar and olive oil mixture. Bake for 6-8 mins until crispy (keep an eye on them because they burn easily!)

    pita bread cut into wedges over a baking tray, brushed with zaatar olive oil and ready to bake for chips
  11. In a small bowl, add in the chopped mint, pistachios, olives, pepper flakes, zaatar spice, pepper flakes, zaatar and olive oil. Mix the topping ingredients well.
    bottle of moroccan olive oil near a bowl of zaatar

  12. Spread your labneh on a flat plate mounding the labneh to about an inch high.

    Finished labneh spread on a plate and ready for the topping
  13. Spoon the topping ingredients over the top of the labneh and allow it to drip from the sides. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top.
    A hand spooning over the toppings over the spread out labneh over a serving plate with the pita chips
  14. Serve with pita bread and some minty red tea.
    A plate of labneh dip topped with zaatar and a hand holding pita chips dipping it in the dip

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • LABNEH TIPS

    • You can buy labneh at Middle Eastern Stores or make your own. To make your own follow step by step instructions above and video.
    • Always start with your favorite type of yogurt.
    • A pillowcase is best to strain the labneh, better than a cheesecloth.
    • Depending if you start with Greek yogurt or regular yogurt , you may need to strain it for 8-12 hours.
    • Salting the yogurt before straining is key.
    • Topping is to your taste--the combo of zaatar, mint, olives, pistachios and pomegranate is a contrast of sweet, salty, soft, chewy, crunchy and delicious.
    • Use Mina's Moroccan Olive oil for its' quality, taste and rich polyphenols. 
    • Make pita chips and store them in a ziploc ahead of time-- up to a week in advance.
    • You can opt for sa simple sat and olive oil flavored pita chip, it's still delicious!
    • See section on how else to serve labneh.
    • Labneh recipe keeps in the fridge for minimum of 2 weeks.
    • The pita chips keep for a week.
    • ENJOY

    Make this labbneh dip for your game day, potluck, snacks and more!

Nutrition Facts
Labneh Dip with Olive Topping
Amount Per Serving
Calories 440 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 25g
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 256mg11%
Potassium 261mg7%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 514IU10%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 310mg31%
Iron 15mg83%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Easy Mediterranean Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Topping - a light and healthy appetizer perfect for parties #labneh, #appetizer, #dip, #olives, #keto, #partyfood, #healthy,

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dennese

    5 stars
    This is my go to appetizer. I’m using currants in place of pomegranate seeds when they are out of season. Delicious! Thank you❤️

    Reply

  2. Tami

    This recipe is yummy! I subbed green olives for kalamata olives. I could not find pomegranate seeds anywhere, so I didn’t add them, but I cansee how they would add some color and sweetness. It was a lovely appetizer!

    Reply

  3. Beth

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! We love this dip, so delicious and our favorite summer dip! The mint complements the pistachio so well and it’s amazing! I’ll definitely be making this again!

    Reply

  4. Amanda

    5 stars
    This has to be the best summer sip! The pistachio and mint topping really make it something extra special.

    Reply

  5. Dannii

    5 stars
    This is my favourite dip and I always order two portions when we go to our local Lebanese restaurant.

    Reply

  8. Tara

    5 stars
    This Labneh Dip looks incredible! Such beautiful styling and I absolutely love all those flavors. Definitely perfect for pairing with pita chips.

    Reply

  9. Catherine

    5 stars
    This is a perfect dip for the summer and a delicious addition to any appetizer board. I served this with some toasted bread and dried meats for dinner and it was a perfect light spread with wine.

    Reply

  11. Nadia

    Made this for my friends and everyone loved it. What a nice/fresh combination of flavours exploding in your mouth at the same time. wow!

    Reply

  14. April

    5 stars
    I can’t and I won’t miss this recipe! 🙂 It is amazing how beautiful it is and I can imagine that it tastes like it is nobody’s business! Yummy!

    Reply

  15. Melissa

    5 stars
    We are HUGE entertainers so this would be a perfect appy for us to always have out for our guests to enjoy. I especially love the flavor combo of the pistachio and pomegranate, how delicious!

    Reply

  16. Emmeline Kemperyd

    5 stars
    THIS RIGHT HERE!! I love verything about this dish! Labneh is just so yummy (I make an “instant” version by just adding loads of salt to turkish yogurt) and zaatar is one of my new favorite spices. Have to go grab some and make this right this weekend!

    Reply

  19. Karey Spirit

    Your recipe looks and sounds wonderful. I am going to have to make many substitutions as I have many food and spice sensitivities. But am going to try to make a reasonable facsimili. I haven’t tried zaatar or sumac because I thought they both had hot peppers in them. But, according to your blog neither do. So I will buy both. Thanks for the ideas. Karey Spirit

    Reply

    • Mahy

      Hope you make it Karey! Yes none of these blends are spicy at all–they’re more on the tangy side 🙂
      Please share any substitutions you make so I can try that too!!

      Reply

  20. Ellen

    Hello! This looks delicious! There are m sliced green chili peppers in the phots that aren’t mentioned in the ingredient list. What did you use? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Mahy

      Hi Ellen, thanks for your comment 🙂 I added some sliced Thai peppers–for spice. I didn’t include them as they’re optional, but I will right now in case you’re up for a touch of spice too 🙂

      Reply

  21. Mahy

    Moses, Thanks so much for your comment! I would love you to try this recipe and let me know and I can’t wait to check your website and your Zaatar plant too!

    Reply

  26. Mahy

    Derek–if you’ve never heard of this, I urge you to give it a try!! Just start by making this dip with Greek yogurt and go from there 🙂

    Reply

  32. Sarah

    5 stars
    I’m always looking for new and easy dips to share with my friends and family when they are over. Thanks for sharing this recipe – it is absolutely gorgeous and sounds so tasty!

    Reply

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