How to Cook Quinoa

The key is to toast the quinoa before boiling it. It’s an easy step that takes a few extra minutes and I just toast it in the same saucepan it’s cooked in so it’s really worth the teensy bit of extra effort. The texture is also better – the kernels are more defined and the quinoa turns out less mushy.

Quinoa does not require toasting but you will have the best flavor if you toast the grains in butter or oil. You can also toast on a dry skillet without oil or butter to cut calories.

Quinoa has a naturally occurring bitter coating called saponins. Rinsing the quinoa ensures your quinoa won’t taste bitter after it is cooked. If you have had bitter-tasting quinoa, it’s because it was not rinsed before cooking.

You can easily double the recipe following the guideline of 1 part quinoa to 2 cups water, but keep in mind, that a larger amount of quinoa will take longer to cook and absorb all of the water.