Fluffy Quinoa

So, how do you cook quinoa?

STEP 1: Rinse your Quinoa: Quinoa can be bitter if you do not properly rinse it before you cook it. Place 1 cup quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it a few times under cool water.

STEP 2: Use the right cooking liquid. Using different liquids brings a bigger flavor dimension to the quinoa, but water is great too. Typically if I’m making breakfast quinoa, I cook it in milk. If I’m making it as a savory side dish, I’ll cook my quinoa in a chicken or vegetable broth for a bit of flavor from the salt. However, cooking your quinoa in water will also work great. Start with a 1:2 ratio–one part quinoa, two parts water or other cooking liquid (chicken broth, milk, etc). I use 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of liquid, which will make about 3 cups of cooked quinoa. If you want you can double that to make a larger batch.
STEP 3: Cook quinoa. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil then stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let stand covered for another 5-10 minutes.
STEP 4: Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Quinoa will pop upon cooking and expand. To help seperate the grains, use a fork and fluff the quinoa.