Mediterranean sharing platter with labneh, roasted aubergine, charred courgette & spiced chickpeas
A colourful mezze-style platter: creamy labneh, smoky roasted aubergine, charred courgette, crunchy spiced chickpeas and pitta.
This is a sharing platter that does all the hard work for you: smoky roasted aubergine, bright lemony labneh, charred courgette and spiced chickpeas come together for a feast of textures and flavours. Ideal for casual gatherings, summer evenings or whenever you want a stylish spread without fuss.
Make the labneh ahead and roast the veg while guests arrive — assembly is fast and impressive. Play with the garnish: pomegranate and toasted almonds add crunch and colour that lift the whole platter.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergine — medium
- 2 courgette — medium
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drained and rinsed
- 300 g natural yoghurt — full-fat
- 30 g tahini
- 60 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon — use juice and a little zest
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml sumac
- 5 ml chilli flakes
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh mint — roughly chopped
- 60 g pomegranate seeds
- 50 g toasted flaked almonds
- 10 g sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 4 pitta breads
Equipment
- sieve lined with muslin or kitchen paper
- baking tray
- grill or oven grill setting
- serving platter
Instructions
Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh in a criss-cross. Sprinkle a generous pinch of sea salt into the cuts and leave the aubergines cut-side up on a plate to sweat for 20 minutes.
Line a sieve with muslin or a couple of layers of kitchen paper and place the natural yoghurt inside. Put the sieve over a bowl and leave to drain in the fridge for 2 hours so it firms up into labneh.
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan/240°C conventional and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Pat the aubergine flesh dry with kitchen paper, trim the courgettes and cut into 1cm-thick diagonal slices. Toss both with half the olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a little black pepper. Spread on the tray and roast for 25 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and soft.
When the yoghurt has drained, transfer the labneh into a bowl and stir in the tahini, the juice and a little zest of the lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Scoop the soft flesh from the roasted aubergines into a bowl. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, 1 tsp sumac and a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper. Break up with a fork — you want a slightly chunky smoky salad.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the final crushed garlic clove, then the tinned chickpeas, smoked paprika, ground cumin and chilli flakes. Fry, shaking the pan now and then, until the chickpeas are slightly blistered and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Brush the pitta breads with a little olive oil and warm under a hot grill for about 4 minutes, turning once, until puffed and charred in spots. Cut into wedges.
Arrange the platter: spoon the labneh in a shallow swirl, pile the aubergine salad alongside, arrange the charred courgette slices and scatter the spiced chickpeas. Finish with chopped parsley and mint, pomegranate seeds, toasted flaked almonds, a dusting of sumac and a final drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warm pitta.
Tips
- Drain the yoghurt in the fridge for at least 2 hours — that tangy thickness is what makes the labneh special.
- Score and salt aubergine, then pat dry before roasting to avoid soggy, oil-logged flesh.
- Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan on a low heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking often, so they don’t burn.
- Make the spiced chickpeas just before serving so they stay crisp; they lose their snap if left to sit for too long.
- Assemble at the last minute and keep extra olive oil, lemon wedges and pitta nearby so guests can refresh flavours as they eat.
Substitutions
pitta breads → flatbreads or warmed sourdough slices, same quantity
Stays closenatural yoghurt → strained dairy-free yoghurt (e.g. coconut or soya) and proceed to drain for labneh
Noticeably differenttinned chickpeas → tinned butterbeans, same weight; pan-fry until golden
Stays closetoasted flaked almonds → toasted pistachios or pumpkin seeds, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 460
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 450 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this ahead?
Yes — drain the labneh and make the aubergine salad up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerate separately. Reheat roasted veg briefly in a hot oven (5–8 minutes) and finish assembly just before serving.
How do I veganise the platter?
Use a thick dairy-free yoghurt to make labneh and check pittas are dairy-free. Flavour will be slightly different but still excellent.
Can I freeze any components?
Roasted aubergine and chickpeas can be frozen but textures change. Labneh should not be frozen; make it fresh or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
What if my labneh is too thick or too thin?
If too thick, stir in a teaspoon of the yoghurt whey from under the sieve; if too thin, drain it for longer until it firms up.
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