How to Cook Quinoa
The question of how to cook quinoa elicits strong opinions from those who make it often. Find the way that matches your taste preference and cooking style and go for it.
Pre-toast? Some cooks swear by pre-toasting the quinoa. It’s worth a try if you are a quinoa fan or didn’t like quinoa the first time you tried it.
Soak and/or rinse? Some people claim that you have to soak and/or rinse quinoa to get rid of the “saponin,” the natural coating that protects quinoa seeds from pests in the field. According to many, the saponin lends a stronger, sometimes bitter flavor to the quinoa. A lot of quinoa is pre-rinsed, including the kind found in bulk sections of grocery stores. (Note that pre-toasting and soaking shouldn’t be combined. One or the other.)
Amounts. The quinoa will about triple in size, so start with one-third of the final amount of cooked quinoa you want. Cooked quinoa also freezes well, so you might want to make a good amount and freeze it in 1- or 2-cup amounts.
Soak, rinse, and stovetop. Soak the quinoa in plenty of water for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the quinoa using a mesh strainer. Put the quinoa in a saucepan with as much water as the amount of dry quinoa you started with (e.g., 1 cup), plus a little salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer about 10 minutes.
Pre-toast and stovetop. Pre-toast the dry quinoa by pouring the measured dry quinoa into a sauté pan or skillet and turning on the heat to medium-low. Within a couple of minutes the quinoa starts to smell a bit like popcorn and begins popping. Once it pops a minute or two, take it off the heat. Put the quinoa in a saucepan with twice the amount of water as the amount of dry quinoa (e.g., 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water), plus a little salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat, keep the cover on, and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes.
Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Rinse the quinoa if desired. For each cup of quinoa, use 1.25 cups water. Put them (and a little salt) in the pot, lock the lid and set the steam knob to the “sealing” position. Select “MANUAL” button and cook for 1 minute on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.