Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh

My Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh will impress this holiday season or whenever you are hosting! Creamy, flavorful eggplant labneh is topped with spiced lamb that your guests will not be able to get enough of.

This recipe is fully inspired by the labneh dip at the Peacock restaurant at the Proper Hotel in Austin. Whenever we are in Austin, this is a must for Cady and I! We tried it years ago and were obsessed from the first bite and I am so thrilled that I finally recreated it at home!

If you are not familiar with labneh, it is a creamy, tangy double-strained yogurt often used in Mediterranean cooking. The labneh combined with eggplant, tahini, and a few other ingredients creates a dip that you will not be able to get enough of. But to further flavor the dish, it is topped with browned ground lamb that is deliciously seasoned in an array of warm spices like Aleppo pepper and coriander. Serve this with sliced warmed pita and your guests will instantly be impressed!

Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh ingredients:

• Eggplant
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Labneh
• Tahini
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• Shallot
• Ground Lamb
• Tomato Paste
• Aleppo Pepper: Sub Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Ground Coriander
• Cayenne Pepper
• Ground Cumin
• Dried Oregano
• Smoked Paprika
• Low-Sodium Beef or Chicken Broth
• Plus, a Few Additional Items for Serving

Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh Step-by-Step:

Step One: Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step Two: Roast the Eggplant

Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the flesh of the eggplant with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant flesh side down and transfer to the oven and bake until the eggplant is soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Step Three: Blend the Labneh

Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-speed blender, place the labneh, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and the remaining olive oil. Once the eggplant is cool, using a spoon scrape the flesh of the eggplant out of the skin and add to the food processor. Blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.

Step Four: brown the Lamb

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until just tender. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat, reserving a tablespoon for cooking.

Step Five: Season the Lamb

Add the tomato paste, Aleppo pepper, coriander, cayenne, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook, tossing, to toast the spices. Remove from the heat and stir in the broth until well combined. Set aside.

Step Six: Assemble and Enjoy!

To serve, spoon the eggplant labneh into a shallow serving bowl and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the spicy lamb mixture over the center of the eggplant labneh. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of flakey salt. Serve with warm pita!

Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh Recipe FAQs:

I hope you enjoy this appetizer the next time you host! Comment below once you try this recipe!

For more Dip Recipes:

10-Minute Black Bean Dip

Dairy-Free French Onion Dip

Smoked Trout Dip

Harissa Carrot Dip

5 from 4 votes

Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Labneh

Serves 4 to 6; Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Total: 45 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

For the Eggplant Labneh:

• ▢ 1 medium eggplant
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup labneh
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tahini
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Spicy Lamb:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium shallot diced fine
• ▢ ½ pound ground lamb
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth

For Serving:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs I like parsley and dill
• ▢ Flakey salt
• ▢ Warm pita cut into small triangles (gluten-free pita for gluten-free)

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the Eggplant Labneh:

• Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the flesh of the eggplant with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place the eggplants flesh side down and transfer to the oven and bake until the eggplant is soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-speed blender, place the labneh, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, ½ tsp of salt, ½ of pepper, and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the eggplant is cool, using a spoon scrape the flesh of the eggplant out of the skin and add to the food processor. Blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.

Make the Spicy Lamb:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until just tender, 2 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat, reserving 1 tbsp for cooking, and return to the skillet.
• Add the tomato paste, aleppo pepper, coriander, cayenne, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and cook, tossing, to toast the spices, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the broth until well combined. Set aside.

Serve and Enjoy:

• To serve, spoon the eggplant labneh into a shallow serving bowl (I like to use a shallow pasta bowl) and spread into an even layer. Spoon the spicy lamb mixture over the center of the eggplant labneh. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of flakey salt. Serve with warm pita.

Notes

Make-Ahead Tips: You could make this a day in advance and store the eggplant labneh and the spicy lamb separately. When ready to serve, warm the eggplant labneh in the oven at 350℉ for about 10 minutes or until warm. Then warm the lamb in a skillet on the stove until warm. Assemble as directed below!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

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