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Quinoa is one of the most nutrient-dense, healthy and versatile super foods to exist. Learn How to Cook Quinoa perfectly every time. Use in salads, bowls, fried “rice” or in any creative way you can think of.
How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa is one of the healthiest and most nutrient-dense super foods we can consume. It is super versatile and often used as a substitute for rice. If you’re not familiar with quinoa or have never cooked it before, then it can feel a bit intimidating. The truth is, quinoa is pretty easy and simple to cook. With this method, you will always get fluffy and soft quinoa. Great to add to salads, bowls, fried “rice” or in any creative way you can think of.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is one of the healthiest super foods to exist. Often considered a grain, it is actually a seed. Quinoa is a plant grown as a crop in the amaranth family. It is prepared and consumed like a grain, which is why it is referred to as such.
White Quinoa vs Multi-Colored Quinoa:
Quinoa can be found in three different colors; White, Red and Black. Packages that say multi-colored quinoa are a mix of all three colors. You can find distinctive differences between all three types of quinoa. White quinoa tends to have a fluffier texture once it’s cooked, it’s lighter and more delicate. Red and black quinoa tend to be crunchier and have more of a nutty taste. When it comes to cultivation and nutrition, there is no significant differences between the three colors.
Does Quinoa have to be rinsed?
Essentially quinoa does not have to be rinsed. However, quinoa does have a natural coating called saponin. This gives quinoa a bitter and soapy taste. Rinsing it gets rid of this coating and will make your cooked quinoa taste much better.
What you need to cook Quinoa:
Ingredients:
- White or Multi-Colored Quinoa
- Water
- Vegetable Broth (or any broth of choice)
- Pink Sea Salt (optional)
Equipment:
- Small Saucepan
Hot to Cook Quinoa:
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a strainer. Set aside.
- Pour water and broth in a small saucepan and stir in pink sea salt making sure it dissolves completely. Place saucepan on stovetop turning heat on high. Bring liquid to a boil. Stir in quinoa making sure it’s all submerged in the liquid. Bring back to a boil.
- Turn heat down to low and cover saucepan. Allow quinoa to simmer for 20 minutes covered. Turn heat off and allow quinoa to rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid from saucepan and use a fork to fluff quinoa. Serve immediately or allow to completely cool off before storing in the fridge. Keep cooked quinoa refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Tips to make Quinoa more flavorful:
- Use broth not just water- This definitely will add more flavor to your quinoa.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to liquid when cooking quinoa- It won’t just add more flavor, it will make quinoa fluffier.
- Sauté garlic or onions in a bit of olive oil before adding liquid to saucepan- This will bring the flavor to a whole other level!
- Chop in fresh herbs to cooked quinoa- Cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, green onions are all great.
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice- Will bring out the flavor and give your quinoa more freshness.
How to serve Quinoa and what to use it in:
Quinoa can be cooked and eaten as is. It is commonly served as a substitute for rice. Quinoa is great when used in salads, grain bowls, soups, or even cooked similar to oatmeal and served for breakfast. One of my personal favorite ways to serve quinoa is as a substitute in fried rice.
Meal Prepping it:
Cooked quinoa is pure meal prep gold! You can use cooked quinoa in endless ways and serve it with many foods. It’s so versatile making it great for meal prep. The thing about quinoa is that just a bit of uncooked quinoa goes a long way. Once cooked, it gets so fluffy and makes for a good amount. Cook a pot of quinoa and keep it in your fridge for the week ahead. Add it to salads, make soup, burrito bowls, etc. The possibilities are truly endless.
More recipes with Quinoa:
- Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Quinoa and Spinach Salmon Cakes
- Quinoa Chicken and Seafood Paella
- Zucchini Quinoa Egg Bites
- Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa
- Gluten-Free Vegan Quinoa Granola
- Kale Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Did you like this guide on how to cook quinoa? You may also like these other how to guides:
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice
- How to Make Spaghetti Squash Noodles
- Easy Flavorful Shredded Chicken
- How to Perfectly Boil Eggs
How to Cook Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or any broth of choice)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp pink sea salt (optional)
Instructions
-
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a strainer. Set aside.
-
Pour water and broth in a small saucepan and stir in pink sea salt making sure it dissolves completely. Place saucepan on stovetop turning heat on high. Bring liquid to a boil. Stir in quinoa making sure it's all submerged in the liquid. Bring back to a boil.
-
Turn heat down to low and cover saucepan. Allow quinoa to simmer for 20 minutes covered. Turn heat off and allow quinoa to rest for 5 minutes.
-
Remove lid from saucepan and use a fork to fluff quinoa. Serve immediately or allow to completely cool off before storing in the fridge. Keep cooked quinoa refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Tips to make Quinoa more flavorful:
- Use broth not just water- This definitely will add more flavor to your quinoa.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to liquid when cooking quinoa- It won’t just add more flavor, it will make quinoa fluffier.
- Sauté garlic or onions in a bit of olive oil before adding liquid to saucepan- This will bring the flavor to a whole other level!
- Chop in fresh herbs to cooked quinoa- Cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, green onions are all great.
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice- Will bring out the flavor and give your quinoa more freshness.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
