This vegan labneh is an easy dairy-free alternative to the thickened yogurt "cheese", labneh, a Levantine food staple. Eaten sweet or savoury, labneh is a wonderful addition to just about any meal and makes a great vegan cream cheese, too.
Line a bowl with a nut milk bag, double layer of cheesecloth, or a finely woven tea towel.
Stir together the yogurt, salt and lemon juice. Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth-lined bowl and wrap the cloth tightly around it, twisting at the top, and tie it firmly with a piece of string. Hang the yogurt over the bowl, or place the bundle into a sieve. Make sure there is enough room at the base of the bowl for any liquid that will collect there. You can give it a gentle squeeze at this point to remove some water, but stop if yogurt starts to come out the sides of the fabric.
300 grams full-fat coconut yogurt*, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, Juice of one lemon
Place the bundle, suspended over the bowl, into the refrigerator for 24-36 hours. The yogurt will lose excess water during the rest period. You can gently squeeze it a few more times to remove any remaining water during that time. Once the labneh is finished, it will have lost much of its liquid and will feel quite dry to the touch.
Place the finished labneh into a bowl, and mix it with a spoon to make it evenly creamy and smooth. Top it with the zest of a lemon, some honey, and bee pollen (or another liquid sweetener like maple syrup). Serve as is or keep it to make cream cheese frosting.
Honey or maple syrup for topping
Notes
* Try to find a brand that doesn't have more than 3-4 ingredients – coconut or soya milk, a thickener (look for starches, not gums), and the culture. Some brands might add vanilla, but avoid sweetened varieties.