How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa is a super trendy food that everyone seems to be making. This food is popular not only because it's delicous, but it's also incredibly nutritious. Quinoa, a top-notch superfood, is rich in protein and high in fiber, and it contains a healthy dose of iron. Plus, quinoa is a great gluten free alternative to wheat, barley, and rye. With all of these health benefits, it will be hard to find a reason why you shouldn't include quinoa in your daily diet. 
 

To help you start cooking with quinoa, we'll give you a few tips. 

1. Rinse your quinoa before cooking. Simply place your quinoa in a fine-mesh seive and run under cold water for a few seconds. Doing this, you'll rinse off a bitter coating called saponin. 
2. One cup of quinoa should be cooked in two cups of liquid. You can use water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth to make your quinoa. 
3. Bring the liquid to a boil. Then add the quinoa and turn the heat down to low. The quinoa will cook quickly, about 15 minutes. You'll know it's ready when it looks like the quinoa popped open. 
4. After the quinoa has cooked, fluff it with a fork to separate the grains. Then serve and enjoy!
    

Note: If you toast your quinoa before adding it to the boiling water, your quinoa will have more of a nutty flavor. To toast your quinoa, heat canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the quinoa and stir constantly to prevent your quinoa from burning. Take the quinoa off heat once golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. 

Now that you know how to cook quinoa properly, we suggest you try out these easy quinoa recipes!