How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly - An Illustrated Guide (2024)

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Not sure how to cook Quinoa? Find out here with this easy to follow, illustrated guide and downloadable Infographic.

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How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly - An Illustrated Guide (1)

Do You Know How to Cook Quinoa?

I thought I knew how to cook Quinoa. But the first time I prepared this much-hailed superfood, it was an outright disaster. The carefully boiled and drained attempt was bland, crunchy and not very appetising.

Clearly,I didn’t know how to cook Quinoa! Yet when served in restaurants, Quinoahad always been light, fluffy and flavoursome. The mission was on. Time to workon it and work it out…

If you already have Quinoa sussed, hats off to you. On the other hand, if this amazingly nutritious naturally gluten free staple has been ‘written off’, please please think again.

This Guide Will Help You cook Quinoa perfectly… Every time

Thissuper straight-forward illustrated guide will show you how to cook Quinoa tofluffy perfection… EVERY time. And once you’ve eaten well-cooked andflavoursome Quinoa, you will start to understand what all the superfood fuss isabout

To make it even easier and memorable for you, I’ve put together a downloadable infographic to print off and keep safe (you’ll find it at the bottom of this post). So if you ever forget the magic wisdom, you’ll have a handy guide ready and waiting. My brain is like a sieve and even though I’m a regular cook, I still have to remind myself how to do the most basic processes day after day! Am I alone?

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) has had a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years. But what exactly is it and why has it become so trendy?

Quinoa is actually a tiny edible seed which comes from the Chenopodiumquinoa plant (although many people think of it as a grain). If you cook quinoa well, it will have a delicious, fluffy texture and nutty flavour.

Somewhat surprisingly, there are known to be over 120 varieties of Quinoa. You may find it in any number of colours, although it is most commonly sold in the UK as white, red or black. Sometimes, you will find it mixed as two or three varieties together, which make it (perhaps) more interesting both to look at and to eat.

Why? Because the different types of Quinoa vary in both texture and flavour. The White variety (that I have cooked for this post) is the most easily sourced and (arguably) the most versatile. It is softer and fluffier and makes the best substitute for rice or cous cous in cooking. Black and red quinoa seeds are delicious too, but they may also be a little chewier, crunchier and even slightly sweeter. Whilst white Quinoa breaks open relatively easily on cooking, the red and black varieties like to keep their kernels closed, giving them that different texture.

Origins of Quinoa

Quinoa is a seriously ancient South American staple. Known as ‘The Mother Grain’ it can be dated back to the 15th Century, where it was grown in the Andes and eaten by the Incas.

In more recent times however, its versatility as a crop (it will grow across many climates and conditions) has been noted. So much so, that 2013 was even declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Quinoa, in recognition of its potential to contribute to the fight against world hunger and poverty. This powerful plant has the capacity to “raise awareness of the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of a food that has been traditionally cultivated for thousands of years” (UN).

Interestingly, Quinoa is now even grown in the UK!

What Makes Quinoa a Superfood?

Quinoa is more than a buzzy health-food trend. It is also massively nourishing! And it’s incredible nutritional profile makes it a food that should put it in the shopping baskets of more people more often! The particular qualities of Quinoa make it a positive contributor to low cholesterol diets as well as potentially helping to lower the risk of gastrointestinal cancers.

Designated a ‘superfood’ Quinoa is a low fat, low carbohydrate and high fibre wholegrain. But importantly, it is also a complete protein. This means that it contains all 9 essential amino acids needed by the body for growth and repair. Complete proteins are most commonly animal proteins, which makes this forceful plant-based source incredibly rare. And that also makes it perfect for anyone following a plant-based (Vegan) diet (whether full or part time).

Quinoa is also a little powerhouse of key vitamins and minerals, in particular the B vitamins and folate, Iron, Zinc and Magnesium. And for the Coeliacs amongst us take note… it is naturally gluten free too (although it is important to check the packaging for any risk of cross-contamination). If you haven’t learnt how to cook Quinoa yet, it’s time you did!

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Once I have learnT How to Cook Quinoa, What Can I Do With It?

Quinoa does not just come as a straight seed, it is also processed into Quinoa flour and Quinoa Flakes. The flour makes an excellent nutritional addition to gluten free flour blends (check out my gluten free flour blending guide). The flakes are a good alternative to oats, particularly for those who are oat-intolerant. For the purposes of this guide however, I am focussing on how to cook Quinoa seeds.

Quinoa can be eaten hot or cold and in savoury or sweet dishes. To get the best out of it, I would suggest that it should be cooked using a liquid that imparts flavour… For savoury Quinoa, I always cook in a well-seasoned stock or home-made vegetable broth. This makes it delicious as a simple side in place of rice or cous cous.

Savoury Dishes with cooked quinoa

Alternatively, try adding cooked Quinoa to a tasty lunch-time Buddha Bowl or Quinoa Bowl (like this Roasted Veggie & Halloumi Bowl from Crunch & Cream). Or use it as a base in delicious veggie burgers or these Potato & Quinoa Burgers (from Sneaky Veg).

Quinoa also gives a delicious, wholesome texture to stuffings and would be an ideal substitute for the Soya TVP in my Vegan Keema Recipe (Keema Matar Curry).

If you are more of a soup or salad person, cooked Quinoa is great for pepping them up. Just sprinkle a little over the top of salad or stir into soup for added interest and texture. Or make it a considered part of the dish, like in this Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad or Roasted Squash, Quinoa, Avocado & Feta Salad (both from Easy Peasy Foodie).

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Sweet Dishes

Although most sweeter recipes with Quinoa use flakes, the cooked seeds make a yummy addition to rice puddings, fruit salads, protein shakes and even added to mousse. But my favourite way to eat Quinoa at the sweeter end, is to use it in a healthy and sustaining Quinoa Breakfast Bowl. Prepare the Quinoa in advance (obviously not using vegetable stock) and keep in the fridge ready to grab and munch as soon as you are out of bed. You can even make a bowl of pink Quinoa! Check out how I cook Quinoa for my beautiful, fruit-topped Rainbow Breakfast Bowl here.

If you prefer the idea of Quinoa Porridge made with Quinoa Flakes, advice on how to cook it (so that it doesn’t become mush) can be found in my How to Make Gluten Free Porridge Post.

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How To Cook Quinoa – An Illustrated Guide

What You Need

Quinoa
Stock (for savoury)
Water
Measuring Cups or Scales
Sieve
Running Tap (or a bowl of cold, clean water)
Saucepan with Lid
Wooden/Silicone Spoon
Fork

How to Measure Your Quinoa & Water

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Quinoa increases in size by three times once cooked, so you need to think about how much you want to end up with. Actually, it doesn’t really matter if you cook too much, because you can use any left-overs in so many ways (as above). Just be careful not to end up with too little. But essentially if you want to end up with 3 cups of cooked Quinoa, you will start with 1 cup of dry seeds.

To cook, you will need a dry Quinoa to liquid ratio of 1:2. So for every 1 cup of dry Quinoa, you will use 2 cups of liquid. I find it easiest to measure by volume using American Cups, but you can also measure by weight.

1 cup dry Quinoa (weighs 180g) to 2 cups water/stock/milk (weighs per cup 220g (ml) = 440g (ml) for 2 cups)

Rinse the Quinoa

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Most Quinoa has an outer coating known as Saponin, which if not washed, can result in a bitter flavour. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly rinse. To do this :

Transfer your measured Quinoa into a fine-mesh sieve.
Rinse under cold running water for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure the water runs through the whole batch. If you don’t have access to running water (maybe you are camping), put the Quinoa in a good-sized bowl of clean, cold water and allow to wash for a few minutes (stirring occasionally).
Once washed, drain the quinoa well in the sieve.