Green Labaneh recipe

Dish Name

Green labaneh

Made with an indigenous herb Hweirneh (حويرنة) that is foraged in the wild. It can be used in countless ways, from simply serving with bread, slathered on toast with eggs, as a base to a salad or dressing, a dip with fried or roasted vegetables and even instead of plain yoghurt in fetteh.

Source: Shams El Balad

Prep time

30 Minutes

Cooking time

0 Minutes

Servings

Ingredients

¼ kilogram soft labaneh
1 bunch of hweirneh, radish greens, mustard leaves, rocca (arugula), or other spicy, bitter greens
1 tablespoon fine salt
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Trim the radish leaves removing any fibrous stems while keeping as many leaves as possible. Pick and discard any yellowing leaves. Soak the leaves in cold water with a pinch of salt for a few minutes to release any dirt. Drain and wash them well before drying them thoroughly using a salad spinner or towel.
Roughly roll the leaves up on a cutting board and holding them together tightly in one hand slice them finely using a sharp knife. In a medium bowl mix them well with the remaining salt. Move the salted greens into a sieve and set it above the bowl, cover with a towel or cling wrap. Set it aside in the fridge for 4 hours or preferably overnight.
The green should have released some water into the bowl. Using your hands press out any remaining water from the greens.
Place the greens into a blender and discard the leftover water. Pulse while drizzling in the olive oil in a steady stream. With a more rickety blender like mine at home, this will not be as impressive and will result in a coarse mix that works just as well. With a better blender like in our restaurant, you can emulsify the greens with the olive oil into a beautiful, fluffy green paste. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle for a more sensual experience.
Add the labaneh to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix at medium-high speed for 15-20 minutes. Observe for the first few minutes; depending on the consistency of your labaneh you may need to add a tablespoon or two of milk so you can incorporate more air into the mix (If you’re using homemade labaneh, reserve some of the strained water to use here instead, see note below). You can also do this with a hand mixer or even a whisk if you have it in you.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the greens into the fluffy labaneh working your way around the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to deflate the labaneh.
Serve with an optional extra drizzle of olive oil, some fennel fronds if you have them, and maybe a light sprinkle of crunchy flaky salt. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or up to two weeks depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Chef’s notes or tips (for Jordanian olive oil specifically)

Olive oil helps balance out the flavor as well, but you don’t want to add too much to the mix. Do drizzle more on top when serving.