Cucumber Salad with Labneh

Lots of cultures have some version of cucumbers and yogurt. Persians have mast-o khiar. Greece and Turkey have tzatziki. And the Polish have mizeria. Here, I'm sharing my twist on mizeria, which involves swapping out the sour cream for creamy, tangy labneh, which is just yogurt strained to remove the whey. Lemon juice and vinegar thin it out to create a viscous and flavourful dressing that coats the cucumbers, and both dry and fresh dill create a well-rounded herb flavour. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and you have yourself a satisfying dish that acts as either a side or light lunch.

2 medium cucumbers (~ 1½ lbs total)
1 tsp. sea salt
½ medium lemon
1 small handful fresh dill sprigs
½ cup labneh
1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
½ tsp. dried dill
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground

Peel 2 medium cucumbers. Cut crosswise on a slight diagonal into ¼" thick slices. Place in a colander or large fine-mesh strainer and sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt. Toss to combine, then let sit for 30 minutes to drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the following, and place each in a large bowl as you complete it: juice ½ medium lemon until you have 2 Tbsp. juice; coarsely chop fresh dill fronds until you have 1 Tbsp., then chop more for garnish if desired; add ½ cup labneh, 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar, and ½ tsp. dried dill to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until the cucumbers are ready.

Place the cucumber slices on paper towels and pat dry with more paper towels. Add to the labneh mixture and stir to coat the cucumbers. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with the reserved dill if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

• Make Ahead: The mizeria can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
• Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.