Always Rinse Your Quinoa!

If you are working with un-rinsed quinoa, you need to start by soaking your quinoa 15 minutes or more. After soaking, rinse for 2-3 minutes in a fine metal strainer. (You can line a regular colander with cheesecloth if yours isn’t fine enough.) If you’re using pre-rinsed quinoa you can skip this step.

Add one part quinoa to one and a quarter parts liquid. Choose the liquid that best suits the dish you’re making. Depending on what you are adding to the quinoa as it cooks, you may or may not use a bit more liquid. Bring to a simmer (NOT A BOIL) and then reduce to low. Cover and cook for between 30 and 35 minutes (in my experience, it doesn’t take this long, so check it often!). Remove from heat and let sit covered for an additional 5 minutes.

A few things to remember

One cup of quinoa will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Quinoa stores in the refrigerator for up to a week, so it’s a good idea to go ahead and cook a couple of cups on the weekend so that you have it on hand for recipes. It’s great as a simple breakfast with fruit and nuts, or added to a salad.