Labneh with charred tomato dip

So you think you’ve tried just about every dip combination with Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips? Think again… our talented Culinary Manager Carlos Macías has dreamed up an incredible Labneh for you, with charred tomatoes and burnt spring onions – a fusion of Middle Eastern cuisine and traditional Mexican flavours. 

From the end of the eighteenth century, there were a lot of immigrants from the Middle East that settled in Mexico. With them, they brought many of their traditions, including their culinary culture, which married very well in Mexico. Perhaps the best example of this are tacos al pastor. But there are many other elements that have enriched Mexican cuisine, such as labneh, or jocoque, the way it’s known in Mexico.

Carlos said, “My dad, who grew up in Mexico City as a kid, went to school with classmates from the Middle East. As a school lunch, my grandma, who was a very good cook, would make him a beans torta. Torta is a kind of sandwich that he would then trade at lunch break for a pita bread filled with jocoque with a friend, to eat something new sometimes.”

What is Labneh? 

Labneh is a kind of strained yoghurt most common in Middle Eastern countries. This yoghurt is different from others because it’s quite thick and creamier in consistency as it is strained of whey. 

You could try making your own decadent labneh using yoghurt that’s past its best. We love Tom Hunt’s article Don’t throw away out-of-date yoghurt – use it to make more. Waste not, want not.

If you can’t get your hands on genuine labneh or have the time to make your own, greek yoghurt will do just fine as a substitute. 

Ingredients

This recipe makes enough for one sharing bowl.

For the charred tomatoes and burnt spring onions mix

– 75g or 2 spring onions, cut in half

– 300g or 2 cups of cherry tomatoes

– 20g or 1 jalapeño

– 1g or ¼ of a garlic clove, shredded 

– 10g or 1 tbsp of capers, drained 

– 1 anchovy, chopped

– The juice of ½ lemon and ¼ of its zest

– 30g or 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

– Cracked black pepper

– Sea salt to season 

To serve

– 1 bag of Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips

– 250g of labeh or thick Greek style yoghurt

– The mix of charred tomatoes and burnt spring onions

– Salt flakes

– Lemon zest 

Method

For the charred tomatoes and burnt spring onions mix

– Heat up a thick bottomed pan until is quite warm (you can also do this in the grill or bbq).

– Grill the spring onions on both sides until they are quite charred. At the same time, add the whole chilli and grill it on both sides. Remove them from the pan and let them cool down. 

– Add the tomatoes and grill them heavily until their skins are charred and they start to crack. Sprinkle salt to season them and keep them aside.

– Finely slice the spring onions and chop the chilli.

– In a bowl, add the shredded garlic, capers, anchovy, chopped chilli, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and mix well.

– Before serving, add the tomatoes, spring onions and season well with black pepper and salt.

To serve:

– Pour the labneh in a bowl and make a well in the centre

– Pour the tomato mix in the well

– Finish with a few sprinkles of salt flakes and some more lemon zest. Enjoy! 

Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips are chunky enough to scoop and hold a huge range of dippy delights. We hope you enjoy this recipe and be sure to check out more on our website!