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jajik cream cheese dip in a blue bowl with crackers
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5 from 2 votes

Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese (Labneh Jajik)

A delicious, Cream Cheese spread made with tangy Greek or homemade yogurt.
Prep Time15 minutes
draining time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, side
Cuisine: Assyrian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 34kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 32 oz Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon chives (minced)
  • 1 scallion (minced)
  • 2 tablespoon dill (minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 Serrano pepper (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon marigold leaves (minced)

Instructions

  • Transfer yogurt from its container to a soup bag. Twist the bag from the top, to begin draining the whey from the yogurt.
  • Suspend the bag from the faucet and allow the liquid to drain. I recommend leaving it overnight, undisturbed. Otherwise, it can take four or more hours until it's completely drained.
  • Another option is to place the bag in a strainer and cover it with a heavy object to weigh it down and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
  • Remove the yogurt from the soup bag and place it in a bowl. Wash the soup bag, then wring out and hang to dry to reuse at a later time.
  • Mix in the minced chives, scallions, dill, Serrano pepper, sea salt, and marigold leaves, if using.
  • Enjoy with crackers, pita, or toasted bread.

Notes

  • As soon as you remove the yogurt from the soup bag, give the bag a quick wash in the sink, wring it out, and hang it to dry so that it's available the next time you need it.
  • Place a bowl under the draining yogurt to catch the whey. Whey can be used as a brine, added to shakes, or mixed in with daweh.
  • Some people mix softened butter in with the Jajik. I really don't think it's necessary.
  • Store jajik in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g