How to Cook White Quinoa

Simmering White Quinoa in a Saucepan

Rinse 1 cup (190 grams) of quinoa in a fine mesh colander. Run water over your uncooked quinoa for at least 30 seconds and drain it thoroughly. Rinsing your quinoa before cooking will remove any potential bitterness from its coating. Saponin naturally occurs and coats quinoa, which can give it a soapy or bitter taste if it is not removed prior to cooking.

Add 2 cups (16 fl oz) of water to a saucepan. After pouring in your water, add your 1 cup (190 grams) of quinoa to the pan and gently to stir to mix together. When adding liquid to your quinoa use 2 parts or 2 cups (380 grams) water for every 1 part or 1 cup (8.0 fl oz) of quinoa.

Simmer the quinoa for 10-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Set your stove to medium-high heat and allow the water to boil. Once the water is boiling reduce the heat to bring the mixture to a light simmer. Smaller amounts of quinoa will be finished closer to 10 minutes, while larger portions will take anywhere between 15-20 minutes. Reduce your heat as needed while cooking to maintain a light simmer.

Allow the quinoa to steam for 5 minutes. Steam your quinoa by keeping the pan covered and by removing the pan from direct heat. This will add a fluffy texture to your quinoa. After the 5 minutes are up, remove the cover and fluff your quinoa gently with a fork. If you are eating your quinoa plain, add a pinch of salt to taste. You can also drizzle some olive oil or add a clove of garlic for more flavor.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Having leftovers of your quinoa is great because it keeps very well. Just make sure that it has cooled to room temperature before covering and putting it into the refrigerator.

Cooking Your Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

Coat the bottom and sides of your rice cooker with coconut oil. This will help your quinoa from sticking to the pan while cooking. It also helps keep the quinoa fluffy by adding moisture and texture. Some non-stick cookers may not require a coat of coconut oil prior to cooking but it is always an option and will not affect the cooking process of your quinoa.

Place your dry quinoa into your rice cooker. Some brands of quinoa require you to rinse it in a fine mesh colander before cooking. For this method adding in dry quinoa works best. The liquids you add with provide sufficient moisture for your quinoa. Buying prewashed quinoa works best for this method.

Add 14.5 fluid ounces (1.81 c) of chicken broth to your quinoa. There is no need to stir your ingredients together. The quinoa will naturally absorb the liquid while it cooks. If needed you can substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water.

Set your rice cooker to the “brown or white rice” setting. If you only have one rice option, setting your cooker to the main rice setting will work just as well. Once you select your setting, simply put the lid on the rice cooker and press the start button. Cooking quinoa in a rice cooker will take around 30 minutes.

Allow your quinoa to cool uncovered for 3-4 minutes. After giving your quinoa time to cool, gently fluff it with a fork. Using a fork to fluff out your quinoa will not only help keep an airy texture but lock in the moisture it absorbed during the cooking process. If you opted not to use chicken broth, add a pinch of salt to taste.

Serve your quinoa right out of the cooker or add to another dish. After the short cooling period, your quinoa will be ready to serve. It makes a great side dish and can be served alone or can be added to enhance other recipes.

Store any unused quinoa for up to 4 days. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days.

Microwaving Your Quinoa

Put your rinsed quinoa into a microwave-safe dish. Either rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh colander for 30 seconds or purchase quinoa that has already been prewashed. Use ceramic or another microwave safe bowl that will provide you with enough room to add in the liquid.

Add 2 parts liquid for every 1 part quinoa to your microwave safe dish. If you are cooking 1 cup (190 grams) of quinoa you will need 2 cups (16 fl oz) of liquid. When adding your liquid, you can use different types of broths such as chicken or vegetable. You can also simply use water, however, for this cooking method a type of broth is preferred. Not adding enough liquid will cause your quinoa to dry out during the cooking process.

Cook your quinoa on high heat 5 minutes. Your microwave, most likely, will already be set to high heat or normal mode. Make sure that your microwave is set to its highest setting.

Reduce microwave power and cook for an additional 15 minutes. After letting your quinoa cook for 5 minutes reduce the heat of your microwave to 40% power and let it cook for another 15 minutes and let it cool for another 3-4 minutes before serving. You will not need to stir your quinoa in between cooking sequences. Some microwaves will allow you to program in both sequences prior to cooking.