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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Or this Cauliflower Pizza Crust
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.