Greek Strained Yogurt with Wild Thyme Honey and Black Olives

Name: Greek Strained Yogurt with Wild Thyme Honey and Black Olives
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) Greek strained yogurt (full-fat), at room temperature; 3 tbsp (60 ml) wild thyme honey; ½ cup (100 g) pitted or unpitted Kalamata olives, drained, drained and lightly patted dry; 2 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs (optional, for garnish) (optional); pinch coarse sea salt; pinch cracked black pepper; 2 tsp (10 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 4 slices (120 g) crusty bread (such as sourdough or country loaf), sliced ½-inch (1 cm) thick

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rustic Greek yogurt bowl combining creamy strained yogurt with the floral notes of wild thyme honey, briny Kalamata olives, and crispy bread for scooping. This dish works equally well as a light breakfast, afternoon snack, or simple appetizer. The contrast of textures—smooth yogurt, crunchy bread, chewy olives—and the interplay of savory, sweet, and herbaceous flavors make it far greater than the sum of its parts.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 3 min
Total: 8 min
Makes: 2 bowls

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Steps

Before you start

If using bread from the bakery, slice and toast it within an hour of serving so it stays crispy
Bring yogurt to room temperature for 10–15 minutes if it has been refrigerated, so it tastes creamier
Pit the olives if you prefer, or leave them whole for guests to pit themselves

1
Toast the bread
- Slice the bread ½-inch (1 cm) thick.
- Toast in a toaster at medium setting until pale golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes.
- You want it crunchy but not hard or burned.
- Transfer to a cutting board.
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Ready when: Bread is golden brown and crisp when tapped
Tip: Toast close to serving time so the bread stays crispy; toasted bread softens as it cools and absorbs moisture from the yogurt.
2
Divide yogurt
- Spoon ½ cup (120 ml) of room-temperature Greek yogurt into each of two serving bowls.
- Gently smooth the surface with the back of the spoon, creating a slight well in the center.
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Tip: If the yogurt is cold from the fridge, its tanginess and texture will be more pronounced and less creamy-tasting; warming it briefly mellows both qualities.
3
Drizzle honey
- Pour about 1½ tablespoons (30 ml) of wild thyme honey into the well of each yogurt bowl.
- Let it pool naturally so the floral honey flavor stands out.
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Tip: Warm the honey briefly in your hand or over warm water if it is too thick to pour; it will blend better into the yogurt and feel luxurious.
4
Scatter olives and oil
- Distribute roughly ¼ cup (50 g) of drained Kalamata olives around each bowl.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil over the yogurt and olives in each bowl.
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Tip: Pat the olives dry before adding them so excess brine does not dilute the yogurt; the oil should gleam on the surface.
5
Season and garnish
- Pinch a tiny amount of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper over each bowl.
- If using fresh thyme, gently lay a sprig or two on top for color and aroma.
- Serve immediately alongside the warm toasted bread for scooping.
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Tip: Use restraint with salt: Greek yogurt and Kalamata olives are both salty, so taste the first spoonful before adding more.

Good to know

Tips

Quality matters enormously in this simple dish—use the best Greek yogurt you can find (full-fat, creamy, with a pleasant tang), real wild thyme honey with visible color variation, and large flavorful olives. Generic or watery ingredients will disappoint.
This is a forgiving blueprint: some Greek households add a pinch of za'atar, sumac, or dukkah for extra spice; scatter pomegranate seeds or toasted walnuts for texture; or add a thin layer of labneh under the honey for extra richness. Adapt to what you have.
Toast the bread as close to serving as possible—even 10 minutes of sitting allows it to soften and absorb moisture from the air and yogurt.
This bowl is delicious warm or at room temperature but less appealing once the yogurt cools back to refrigerator temperature, so eat it while the bread is still warm and the flavors are bright.

Storage & reheating

This is best served fresh and assembled just before eating. If you must store it, keep the components separate: yogurt and olives (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Honey can be stored indefinitely at room temperature. Reassemble and toast fresh bread before serving.

Substitutions

wild thyme honey → regular clover or acacia honey, or another floral honey like orange blossom. Wild thyme honey has a distinctive peppery, herbaceous note. Other honeys will taste sweeter and less complex; use the same quantity.
pitted or unpitted Kalamata olives, drained → green Castelvetrano olives or other Greek green olives. Green olives are milder and buttery, less briny than black Kalamata. The bowl will taste fresher and less salty; adjust the sea salt pinch accordingly.
Greek strained yogurt (full-fat) → whole-milk labneh (strained lebanese yogurt) or thick whole-milk yogurt. Labneh is denser and tangier; use slightly less (¾ cup / 180 ml) since it is richer. Regular yogurt will be thinner; the dish will be less luxurious but still delicious.
crusty bread (such as sourdough or country loaf) → pita bread, flatbread, or crackers. Pita can be torn and toasted. Crackers eliminate the toasting step. Avoid soft sandwich bread, which will dissolve into the yogurt.