There was a time when I thought I hated quinoa; that its chewy and almost-crunchy texture just wasn’t for me. Over the years, however, I’ve experimented to find the perfect quinoa-to-water ratio and cooking time for the foolproof method of how to cook quinoa that actually turns out soft and fluffy every single time.
If you like pillow soft quinoa, this quinoa recipe is for you!
Table of Contents
Yes, today’s how to cook quinoa recipe might not be the most interesting recipe ever posted… but it’s the base for a few other more exciting recipes I hope to post soon: breakfast quinoa, quinoa chocolate chip cookies, and quinoa pancakes.
EDIT: The Breakfast Quinoa and Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies are now both up on the blog!
This basic quinoa recipe can be eaten on its own as a simple side dish, or spice it up by stirring in a little garlic powder and oregano, tossing it into a stir fry, adding a spoonful of tahini or some tomato sauce. Let your imagination run wild.
You can even use it for my favorite Quinoa Pizza Bites!
Do you have any favorite quinoa recipes? I still have a ton more quinoa recipes that I still need to publish on the blog, so be on the lookout for more healthy quinoa recipes to be posted in the near future.
Also, in your comments please feel free to leave links to your own favorite quinoa recipes if you wish.
How To Cook Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw quinoa (80g)
- 1/4 tsp salt – optional
- 1 2/3 cup water
- optional 2 tsp oil
Instructions
- How to cook quinoa: In a strainer, rinse quinoa and drain. Bring a small pot with the 1 2/3 cup water to a boil, then add the quinoa and all optional ingredients. Lower the heat to the lowest simmer, and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes, covered, then do not open the lid but turn off the heat completely. Let sit an additional 20 minutes, covered. After this time, the quinoa should be light and fluffy. If it's still too liquidy for some reason, simply turn the heat back on and stir for a few minutes until fluffy.NOTE: When found in nature, quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins. These occur naturally in the quinoa to prevent insects from eating the plant. Most packaged quinoa will be pre-washed; however it is always a good idea to wash the quinoa again just in case.View Quinoa Nutrition Facts
Notes
Edit: How To Make Quinoa – The Quick Way!
- 1 cup raw quinoa (160g)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups water
Instructions: In a strainer, rinse quinoa well. Drain. Now combine the raw quinoa with the other ingredients and bring to a boil uncovered. When it starts to boil, cover and simmer (or cook on low if your “simmer” is too gentle like mine is) 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy.
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I must say, i am looking forward when you bring forth into the world……. chocolate covered quinoa! Or if you were to create a quinoa cheesecake breakfast bowl with a carmeal sauce! Ihop and any breakfast food should start running! 🙂
Yum! I like to cook it in almond milk and add cocoa powder and whatever sweetener I am in the mood for!
I like to make summer salads with quinoa-cook it, toss with a lemon-vinaigrette and some beets, onions, goat cheese and stuff. I will make that on Sunday and have it during the week for lunch or as a side dish! It’s one of my favorites
I love quinoa! I cook it with black beans, a can of tomatoes and taco seasoning in the crock pot. Serve with avocado and salsa, maybe in a tortilla if you want. Mmmmm, so good.
I LOVE LOVE Quinoa. In burgers, chili, pancakes, breakfast bakes, pudding, cookies, everything! I also love it very fluffy, if you’ve never tried toasted quinoa you should! Rinse it and let it dry then toast it in a dry pot for about five minutes or until you smell a nutty smell. So yummy. I also love cooking it with olive oil, coconut oil, earth balance and chopped veggies!
This is perfect timing! I bought quinoa but haven’t done anything with it yet, I wasn’t sure where to start! Thank you!
I actually don’t rinse them, I’ve never had trouble with packaged quinoa getting bitter. Instead I put the quinoa dry into the sauce pan and toast it until it smells nutty, then add a teaspoon of olive oil or coconut butter and fry it for a quick second before adding the water (and salt and spices if I’m adding them.) Then bring to boil reduce to simmer and cook until fluffy and the little circles separate from the bulk. It’s fluffy and light with rich nutty flavors at the end.
I do like quinoa and have two recipes that I make with some regularity. The first is Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/turkey-and-quinoa-meatloaf/detail.aspx). The other is a healthy quinoa & Greek yogurt pancake recipe (http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/03/quinoa-whole-wheat-greek-yogurt-pancakes-the-healthiest-pancakes-ive-ever-made/) For this one I do add a couple of scoops of vanilla protein powder to get the protein level to where I want it. I will look forward to seeing your quinoa recipes.
You are a lifesaver! My fiance hates quinoa because it’s too hard and crunchy. I can stomach it, but it’s not my favorite. This recipe is the best! We can start our healthy-eating journey off right. Thank you! 🙂
I love to cook quinoa in sweetened almond milk. Once cooked and fluffy, I add lemon zest of one lemon and frozen blueberries which thaw in the heat of it all. It’s a great breakfast or snack that I’ll go to throughout the week. So excited to see what else you post using quinoa– Thanks!
I love cooking with quinoa and it would be a delight to see more recipes using it, Katie! My two current personal favorites are these Southwestern Stuffed Peppers (http://healthfulbitesblog.com/southwestern-stuffed-peppers/) and this Quinoa Pizza Pasta Salad (http://healthfulbitesblog.com/pizza-quinoa-pasta-salad/). It’s one of my go-to ingredients of the moment! Can’t wait to try your tots. 🙂
I love quinoa–we eat it several times a week! I like to let it soak overnight so it can sprout a little before cooking–supposedly it makes the nutrients more accessible to your body. Also, while this probably wouldn’t work so well for dessert recipes, I like to cook mine in vegetable broth rather than water for extra flavor.
I’ve only ever tried making Quinoa once before and I reeeeally really didn’t like it – of course, I knew it was probably my own fault for not making it properly, but I’ve just never tried again since then. ^^ Now I’m inclined to try again, because whenever you tell me how to cook or bake something, it ends up working out perfectly and deliciously. 😀
So, yeah, thanks! 🙂
I made up a really great recipe. I don’t remember exactly everything that I put in it, but here is the basics:
Stuffed Large Tomatoes.
I soaked some tvp in some veggie broth and a dash of hickory smoke. Let sit, until the quinoa is down and you are adding everything into it…Cook the quinoa, then core out the tomatoes. Chop up the insides and save the tom juices. Saute onions, garlic, carrots, kale in ‘butter’ and white wine. I added a touch of sugar to the onions to caramelize them, before adding the other ingredients.
To the cooked quinoa add the diced up tomatoes and the juices, as well as the sauteed garlic, onions, carrots, kale, and tvp. I then added a touch more white wine and simmered it for about ten minutes. Spices: I added Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder (I love garlic), a tbls of olive oil, Paprika, nutritional yeast, and bragg’s liquid aminos to taste.
Next stuff the tomatoes. On top I put just nutritional yeast, but an uncheese sauce would work too. I baked on 350 for about 15 minutes or so. Just enough to let the flavors sink in and a slight crispy top.
sorry for the typos. I’m tired.
Sounds delicious….Love the tomato idea…and will try to find the BLACK varietal of quinoa I think looks so stunning …it’s a tad bit hard to find in France..but perhaps not in the US?…Thanks for the recipe!
Just a little info from a person with a Botany degree- quinoa is not technically a grain, but a seed. It has a much higher protein content than true grain crops as well as a much different nutrient composition. It is a common misconception of those on grain-free diets that they cannot eat quinoa, and that is largely in part due to misinformation.
I could go on…but I won’t. Just wanted to share that tidbit!
Thanks for taking the time to comment… I fixed my error in the post :)!
Best ever? Quinoa Creme brûlée !!!
Made with red quinoa!!!
Amazing. . . Still haven’t found the right recipe to match their custardy goodness!!