Learn how to cook quinoa perfectly so that it's light, fluffy, and soft every time. You can then use it in salads, bowls, pilaf, or even desserts.
Don't miss out on our most loved quinoa salad, quinoa with chickpeas, quinoa with lentils.
Why you'll love it?
- Quinoa is great for meal prep. Make a big pot of quinoa during the weekend and store it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can use it throughout the week for salads, curries, meat, stir-fries, grilled vegetables, and more.
- Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, vegan, budget-friendly, and a complete protein.
- You can cook quinoa in less than 20 minutes.
Also, check out quinoa with veggies, power bowl with quinoa, quinoa with black beans and corn.
Ingredients
Quinoa: red, white, or tri-color. Any quinoa of your choice can be used.
Liquid: Water is preferred. But you can cook in broth if you choose to enhance the flavor.
Salt: optional
Refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
- Wash and rinse quinoa thoroughly in cold water. This is mainly done to remove any natural coating (saponin) that can have a bitter taste.
- Add quinoa, water, and salt in a pan or pot and mix well. Bring it to a boil.
- Cover and simmer it for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the liquid is absorbed, remove it from the heat and keep it covered for another 5 minutes.
Tips
- Based on the altitude of the place you stay, the amount of water and the cooking time also vary. Having cooked at different locations, between 1 ¾ and 2 cups of water are all that is needed to cook quinoa.
- You can also cook the quinoa with broth for more flavor.
- Leftover Quinoa can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
- You can even freeze the quinoa for up to 2 months. Reheat as needed.
- You can add olive oil or butter while cooking for richness.
- For a classic aroma, you can add whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, or even a garlic clove.
Ways to use cooked quinoa
- Add it to salads, bowls, wraps, and burritos for a delicious addition.
- Use it as a substitute for rice in pilafs, biryanis, or stir-fries.
- Make porridge and patties, or even use it to stuff bell peppers, squash, etc.
- You can also make kheer or pudding using quinoa.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to cook quinoa is on the stove, but you can also cook it in an Instant Pot, microwave, or rice cooker.
When cooking quinoa, the ideal quinoa to water ratio is 1 ¾: 1
One cup of uncooked quinoa yields approximately 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
It will take about 15-20 minutes to cook quinoa perfectly.
Yes. Rinsing the quinoa removes the natural coating called saponin, which, in turn, reduces the bitterness of the quinoa.
No. You don't have to soak quinoa before cooking. Just rinsing it is sufficient to remove bitterness.
Best Quinoa Recipes
Some of the best salads of quinoa with veggies, chickpeas, lentils, mushrooms, black beans, and corn etc, one-pot meals, quinoa idli, and more quinoa dishes for your meal prep.
Quinoa with veggies is most loved by my audience. We also love the texture of quinoa combined with lentils. Good for meal prep too.
Recipe card
How to Cook Quinoa?
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa red, white, or tri-color
- 1 ¾ cup Water
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Wash and rinse quinoa thoroughly in cold water. This is mainly done to remove any natural coating (saponin) that can have a bitter taste.1 cup quinoa
- Add quinoa, water, and salt in a pan or pot and mix well. Bring it to a boil.1 ¾ cup Water, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Cover and simmer it for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the liquid is absorbed, remove it from the heat and keep it covered for another 5 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Based on the altitude of the place you stay, the amount of water and the cooking time also vary. Having cooked at different locations, between 1 ¾ and 2 cups of water are all that is needed to cook quinoa.
- You can also cook the quinoa with broth for more flavor.
- Leftover Quinoa can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
- You can even freeze the quinoa for up to 2 months. Reheat as needed.
- You can add olive oil or butter while cooking for richness.
- For a classic aroma, you can add whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, or even a garlic clove.
Nutrition
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Comments
No Comments