Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is actually an ancient seed—not a grain—so it’s packed with protein and rich in iron, magnesium and fiber. It is one of my favorite go-to dishes when I’m in a hurry because in 20 minutes and with very little effort, you’ve got most of your dinner underway. And since one cup of dried quinoa yields three cups of cooked, there is always a little left over for me to take to the office the next day for lunch! Bonus! Let’s get started.
How to Make Quinoa Recipe
what you'll need
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa any color
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
let's do it
- One cup of dried quinoa yields 3 cups cooked quinoa.
- I feel a ratio of 1: 1½ (quinoa to liquid) is best for cooking quinoa. You don’t want all the grains to completely open or it will get mushy, I like the texture to be more al dente (like basmati rice as opposed to soft like oatmeal). However, if you like your grain softer, add ½ cup more broth and follow the same directions. Make this a vegetarian dish by simply swapping chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer and tap it several times to release as much of the water as possible.
- Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium high until it shimmers. Add the quinoa and toast it for 2–3 minutes until it is fragrant, stirring continuously. Add broth and salt to the pan and bring the mixture to boil then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Without removing the lid (no peaking) remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork like you would rice. You’ll know it is done when close to half the beads have opened up into little spirals.
- Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium high until it shimmers. Add the quinoa and toast it for 2-3 minutes until it is fragrant, stirring continuously. Add broth and salt to the pan and bring the mixture to boil then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Without removing the lid (no peaking) remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork like you would rice. You’ll know it is done when close to half the beads have opened up into little spirals.
- What to do with leftovers? Dry it in the oven and use it as a crunchy coating for chicken breasts!
One Last Thing
You can replace rice with quinoa in any of your favorite recipes, including chicken teriyaki and vegetable brown rice casserole!
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