Description
A simple and delicious recipe for perfectly cooked quinoa, ideal as a side dish or base for salads.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup quinoa (see note 1)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat a medium pot over high heat. Add the dry quinoa to the pot (don’t add oil). Toast quinoa for 4–6 minutes, stirring regularly, until it smells nutty. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Pour toasted quinoa from pot to a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds. Shake off excess water. (This step removes bitter saponin coating).
- Return rinsed quinoa to pot along with salt and water. Set to medium heat. Wait until the water starts bubbling gently across the entire surface. Once bubbling, cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 13 minutes. Do not lift the lid, stir, or disturb the quinoa during this time.
- After 13 minutes, check to ensure all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa. (Larger batches will take longer.) Quickly replace the lid if removed and take the pot off the heat.
- Let the quinoa stand, covered, for 10 minutes. This step is crucial as the quinoa will continue to steam and finish cooking.
- Uncover, fluff quinoa with a fork, and serve.
Notes
- Note 1: Rinsing the quinoa is important to remove the natural coating called saponin that can make it taste bitter.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Global
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup cooked quinoa
- Calories: 222
- Sugar: 0.9g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 3.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg