Middle Eastern & North African · Breakfast · Lunch · Snack
Shanklish (Quick Home-Style Spiced Cheese Salad)
شنكليش
Tangy balls of strained yogurt and feta, rolled in za'atar and Aleppo pepper, crumbled over juicy tomatoes and red onion with a light drizzle of olive oil. This quick home take gives you the sharp, herby flavour of the Levantine classic without weeks of ageing.
- Prep
- 145 min
- Cook
- No cooking
- Total
- 145 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 25% · Fat 50% · Protein 25%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup250 gthick low-fat Greek yogurt or unsalted homemade labneh
- 1/4 tspsalt
- 1/2 cup60 gfeta cheese, finely crumbled
- 2 tspAleppo pepper (or mild red pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp12 gza'atar
- 2 medium240 gripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 small50 gred onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup10 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp14 gextra virgin olive oil
- 2 rounds128 gwhole wheat pita bread, to serve (contains gluten) (optional)
Steps
- 1
Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels.
- 2
In a bowl, mash the strained yogurt, salt, crumbled feta and 1 tsp of the Aleppo pepper together until smooth and evenly mixed.
- 3
With lightly oiled or damp hands, shape the mixture into 4 even balls.
- 4
On a small plate, mix the za'atar with the remaining 1 tsp Aleppo pepper.
- 5
Roll each ball in the spice mix until fully coated.
- 6
Set the balls on the lined plate and chill uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up and dry slightly.
- 7
Arrange the diced tomatoes and red onion on a serving platter.
- 8
Roughly crumble the chilled cheese balls over the vegetables.
- 9
Scatter over the parsley and drizzle with the olive oil.
- 10
Serve right away, with warm whole wheat pita if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a dairy-free version, use a thick plain coconut or cashew yogurt and a dairy-free feta-style cheese, choosing products labelled dairy-free.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt instead of low-fat for a richer, creamier cheese ball.
- If you can't find Aleppo pepper, use 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika with a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Skip the pita and serve with cucumber slices or lettuce leaves, and check your za'atar is labelled gluten-free for a gluten-free meal.
Storage
The dressed salad is best eaten fresh, as the tomatoes turn watery; refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours and eat within a day. Undressed cheese balls keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, but don't freeze them, as the texture turns grainy.
Make ahead
Shape and coat the cheese balls up to 2 days ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Dice the tomatoes, onion and parsley shortly before serving and assemble just before eating.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: MilkSesameGluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (160 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 143 kcal | 89 kcal |
| Protein | 9.5 g | 5.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.2 g | 5.8 g |
| of which sugars | 4.5 g | 2.8 g |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 8.3 g | 5.2 g |
| of which saturated | 3.4 g | 2.1 g |
| Sodium | 345 mg | 216 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
