This is another labneh version I tried and liked. It also works in dishes that normally use yogurt by blending it with water and adding lemon to taste.
Quick Almond & Rice Labneh Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, soaked overnight and peeled
- 1 cup rice, cooked with slightly less water than usual and dried well without burning
- 1/2 cup water for blending the rice and almonds, with more if needed
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, with more to taste
- 1 tsp sea salt
How to Make Quick Vegan Almond & Rice Labneh
After soaking the almonds overnight, peel them. Briefly soaking them in boiling water makes peeling easier.
Blend the almonds with 1/2 cup water until smooth.
Add the cooked rice after it has cooled and blend with the juice of half a lemon. Add a little extra water if needed.
If your blender is too small for both the rice and almonds, blend each separately and combine them afterward.
Once the rice and almonds are very smooth, combine them in a glass or stainless-steel container with a lid, adjust the salt and mix.
The original recipe covered the mixture and left it for several hours outside the refrigerator. The author left it for about 6 hours until it smelled similar to labneh, then refrigerated it to avoid spoilage.
Leave it for 1–2 days in the refrigerator to develop flavor, mixing it twice each day. The original author adjusted the time depending on the ambient temperature.
Adjust salt and lemon to taste.
You can put it in a jar, cover the top with oil and keep it refrigerated.
Enjoy.
You can also use it in vegan yogurt dishes: such as zucchini in vegan yogurt and sheikh al-mahshi. For a lighter yogurt, see our vegan almond yogurt.
Why Almond & Rice Labneh Is More Than a Dairy Substitute
Almonds have measurable effects on cardiovascular risk markers: a recent meta-analysis covering 36 studies and 2,485 participants found reductions in LDL, total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and ApoB. Source.
Along with that come plant protein, fiber, unsaturated fats, vitamin E and magnesium. So this is a creamy almond-and-rice labneh without animal milk and without dietary cholesterol.
One important correction: “vitamin B17,” or laetrile, is not an established vitamin or a proven cancer treatment. Almonds have plenty of real nutritional value without that claim. National Cancer Institute.
Try our other almond-and-rice labneh recipe with a different texture. See it here.
