Labneh and black bean salad

Babiche Martens

Make your labneh a day or two in advance to get the best result and to allow plenty of time for the whey to drain from the yoghurt. Don't discard the whey, you can use it in baking or smoothies - it is full of nutrients. Labneh is great served as a dip; drizzled with quality olive oil and served with olives and pita bread. It is also a great start to a thick, flavoursome tzatziki.

Ingredients

½ tsp	Salt
500 ml	Yoghurt, plain wholemilk variety (Main)
400 g	Canned black beans (Main)
4	Bacon rashers, cooked and cut into strips
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Lemon, juice of
2	Peaches, ripe, sliced
2 Tbsp	Fresh dill, chopped roughly
1 to taste	Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. To make the labneh, mix the yoghurt and salt in a bowl. Line a sieve with muslin cloth or very thin cotton cloth. Pour the yoghurt into the cloth. Fold the sides in to enclose the yoghurt. Place the sieve over a bowl to catch the liquid.
2. Place in the fridge for several hours or, better still, overnight to allow the liquid to drain. Then remove from the muslin and place on to a plate or into a bowl.
3. For the salad, toss the beans, bacon, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Gently add the peach slices and dill. Place on a serving platter and add labneh.
4. Grind fresh pepper on top and serve with warm pita or crusty bread.