Labneh and Za'atar Savory Oats with Cucumber

Name: Labneh and Za'atar Savory Oats with Cucumber
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; 1½ cups (355 ml) water; ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, any unsweetened milk works; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (120 g) labneh, cool or at room temperature, divided: 1/4 cup (60 g) stirred in, 1/4 cup (60 g) for topping; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 1 medium (about 5 oz) (140 g) Persian or small cucumber, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large; 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon, freshly squeezed juice, about ¼ lemon; 3 tbsp (40 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the vegetables, 2 tbsp for the za'atar oil; 2 tbsp (14 g) za'atar, divided: 1 tbsp for the oil, 1 tbsp for sprinkling; 2 tbsp (4 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped (optional); black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy stovetop rolled oats cooked in salted water and a splash of milk, swirled with tangy labneh, then topped with cool cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, olive oil and a generous sprinkle of za'atar. A Levantine-style breakfast that tastes like a mezze plate in a bowl.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Wait: 2 min
Total: 22 min
Makes: 2 generous bowls

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the oats
1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups (355 ml) water
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, any unsweetened milk works
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (120 g) labneh, cool or at room temperature, divided: 1/4 cup (60 g) stirred in, 1/4 cup (60 g) for topping
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
For the topping
1 medium (about 5 oz) (140 g) Persian or small cucumber, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon, freshly squeezed juice, about ¼ lemon
3 tbsp (40 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the vegetables, 2 tbsp for the za'atar oil
2 tbsp (14 g) za'atar, divided: 1 tbsp for the oil, 1 tbsp for sprinkling
2 tbsp (4 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped (optional)
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

Equipment (5)

2-quart (2 L) saucepan with lid
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Small skillet or small bowl for the olive oil and za'atar
Cutting board and knife
2 serving bowls

Steps

Before you start

Chop the toppings first: the oats go from cooked to gluey quickly if left sitting, so have everything ready before the pot goes on.
Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or steel-cut; cooking times here are for rolled oats.
Take the labneh out of the fridge when you start prepping so it is cool rather than ice-cold and stirs in smoothly.
Za'atar blends vary in saltiness, so season the oats lightly and taste at the end.

1
Prep the toppings
- In a medium bowl, combine the diced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes.
- Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil and a pinch of salt from your fingers.
- Toss and leave to sit while the oats cook so the vegetables release a little juice.
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Ready when: Vegetables look glossy and slightly juicy.
Tip: Salt draws out liquid, so don't dress the vegetables more than 15 minutes ahead.
2
Make za'atar oil
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil and 1 tablespoon (7 g) of the za'atar until it looks like a loose, fragrant paste.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Za'atar is fully moistened with no dry clumps.
3
Season the labneh
- In another small bowl, stir the grated garlic into ¼ cup (60 g) of the labneh.
- Keep the other ¼ cup (60 g) plain for topping.
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Ready when: Garlic is evenly distributed through the labneh.
Tip: Use a very small clove; raw garlic gets stronger as it sits.
4
Bring liquids to a simmer
- In a 2-quart (2 L) saucepan, combine the water, milk and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 3 minutes, watching so the milk doesn't boil over.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break steadily around the edge of the pan.
Tip: Stay nearby; milk foams up and overflows fast.
5
Cook the oats
- Stir in the rolled oats and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every minute or so to prevent sticking, until the oats are tender but still slightly chewy and the mixture is thick and creamy.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that slowly closes, and no liquid pools on top.
Tip: The oats thicken further off the heat, so stop while they're slightly looser than you want.
6
Stir in labneh
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the garlic labneh until the oats look creamy and uniformly pale.
- Cover and let stand 2 minutes.
- If too thick, loosen with 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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Ready when: Porridge is thick, spoonable and slightly loose, like risotto.
Tip: Add labneh off the heat; high heat can make it grainy.
7
Assemble the bowls
- Divide the oats between two warm bowls.
- Add a dollop of the plain labneh to each and spoon the cucumber-tomato mixture alongside, leaving most of the juices behind in the bowl.
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Ready when: Each bowl has a distinct pile of labneh and vegetables on top of the oats.
Tip: Serve right away so the oats stay hot against the cool toppings.
8
Finish and serve
- Drizzle each bowl with the za'atar oil, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon (7 g) za'atar, and top with mint and black pepper if using.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Green-flecked oil pools lightly over the labneh.

Good to know

Tips

Salt the cooking liquid: unsalted oats taste flat against tangy labneh and herby za'atar.
For extra richness, top each bowl with a soft-boiled or fried egg (cook eggs to a safe temperature if serving vulnerable guests).
Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes for gentle heat.
Stir the oats often at the end; the starch near the pan bottom scorches easily.

Make ahead

"Cook the oats up to 3 days ahead without the labneh and toppings; refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat with a splash of milk, then stir in the garlic labneh and add fresh toppings. The za'atar oil can be mixed a day ahead."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten fresh. Store leftover plain oats (without toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a saucepan or microwave with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or water, stirring until creamy. Not recommended at room temperature beyond 2 hours. Cooked oats can be frozen up to 2 months in portions; thaw overnight in the fridge. Don't freeze the cucumber, tomatoes or labneh topping."

Substitutions

labneh → thick strained Greek yogurt. Slightly less tangy; add a tiny pinch more salt.
za'atar → 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp sumac and a pinch of salt. Approximate homemade blend for each 2 tbsp; adjust to taste.
whole milk → unsweetened oat or soy milk, or more water. Makes the dish dairy-free apart from the labneh; use plant-based yogurt to go fully dairy-free.
Persian or small cucumber → diced radishes or a small English cucumber. Peel and seed larger English cucumbers if the skin is tough or seeds watery.