Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa

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5 from 8 votes

Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa

Make perfect quinoa on the stove! With tips, step-by-step photos, and loads of ideas for how to use it!

Prep Time2

Cook Time15

Total Time17

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: South American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: People

Author: Katie Workman

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or broth (or a diluted broth made of half water, half broth)
Kosher salt (to taste)

Instructions

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse with cold water (unless your quinoa is labeled pre-rinsed).
Pour the quinoa into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. You can toast the quinoa for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Or add the broth or water immediately and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa grains have sprouted their little tendrils. Remove from the heat.
Allow the quinoa to sit, covered, for about 5 minutes, then lift the lid, fluff the quinoa, and serve, or cool. If you want to cool the quinoa, your best bet is to spread it out on a large platter or baking sheet.

Video

Notes

Types of Quinoa

Naturally gluten-free, quinoa comes in different varieties, with different colors as well, which can be a lot of fun to play with, visually. White, red, and black are the most common colors/varieties available. Cooking times vary from type to type, so check package directions.

Rainbow quinoa is a blend of white quinoa, which has a tasty, slightly nutty flavor, with even nuttier red quinoa, and black quinoa, which has a bit more crunch. The grains cook in the same amount of time, and the color combo adds an extra pop to all of your quinoa dishes. You can use the blend wherever you would use any single-colored quinoa.

Quinoa Cooking Tips

You can tell when quinoa is done because the little sprouts will have released from the grains.
Make sure to let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes, covered, before fluffing it.
Cooked quinoa will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. Discard it if it has an off smell.
You can also freeze quinoa in freezer-proof containers or heavy-duty zipper top bags — just press the air out, seal it up, and it will keep for months. Make sure to label the bag with the date and contents, and you can pull out what you need and seal the bag back up.

Nutrition