You might hear “quinoa” and be immediately be transported back to around 2009, where you couldn’t avoid the grain anywhere, and you keep hearing the word “superfood.” (For the record, I think all food is super). Those days are gone, but we still love quinoa. It’s versatile, filling, and an excellent grain to have in your repertoire. From savory quinoa salads and stews to sweet applications (like quinoa cookies and cakes!), we’re sharing 17 quinoa recipes that are anything but boring.
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Our Best QuinoaRecipes
1.
I would normally run away from any recipe that calls for both kale and quinoa, but this one is actually delicious (promise). If you’re looking for a way to up your intake of greens and grains, it doesn’t get better than this salad.
2.
Serve this for your next fall harvest party (because that’s obviously a thing, right?) and then have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Shhh: Don’t tell your guests, but we like it better on day two anyway!
Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Apple, and Dried Cranberries
3.
If this salad doesn’t say summer, I don’t know what does. It calls for fresh corn kernels
and cherry tomatoes, both of which are at their best when the weather is warm.
4.
Your new favorite veggie burgers!
5.
Did you stock up on too much apple cider at the orchard? Been there, done that. Fortunately, this chicken and quinoa recipe uses a lot of it in both the apple cider glaze and the salad vinaigrette.
6. Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart With Rosemary-Quinoa Crust
The secret to this extra-crunchy crust is uncooked black quinoa, which is blended in a food processor until it breaks down into almost flour (there will still be some crumbs and that’s a good thing).
Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart With Rosemary-Quinoa Crust
7.
As soon as I turn the calendar to September, this quinoa bowl is exactly what I’ll be digging into, day in and day out.
8. Quinoa Almond Tuiles
Tuile cookies are notoriously difficult to make, so the idea of making them potentially more finicky by changing the recipe and adding quinoa scared the living daylights out of me. However, Susan Spungen insists that there’s no need to fear—“These lacy cookies are quite easy and quick to make, despite their impressive appearance.”
Quinoa Almond Tuiles Recipe
9.
This gorgeous salad is inspired by Trader Joe’s mango-black bean salsa. You can make it even more appealing come summertime by grilling the onions and mango, and adding corn on the cob.
10. Baked Quinoa-Pork Meatballs
“Instead of breadcrumbs, these meatballs call in cooked quinoa.” Did you do a double-take because I did? I am as obsessed with these meatballs as I am with Emma Laperruque’s recipe brilliance.
Baked Quinoa-Pork Meatballs
11.
Switch up your usual bowl of overnight oats for this cozy, creamy quinoa that’s studded with slivered almonds and pitted dates.
Toasted Almond and Coconut Quinoa Porridge
12.
Not only do our readers consider this dessert their favorite quinoa cookie, thanks to its chewy texture and earthy flavor—it’s their favorite quinoa recipe of all time.
13. Guacamole Quinoa
Bet you never imagined that this grain was not only a good source of energy, but also a delicious twist on guacamole. Mash together the makings of guacamole (avocado, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro) and cooked quinoa for a salad, dip, or both!
14. Paula Shoyer’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Flourless chocolate cakes are delicious, but their texture stands alone. While fudgy and decadent, they don’t exactly produce a traditional slice of chocolate cake…at least until now. When run through a food processor, cooked quinoa turns into a superfine crumb that gives this gluten-free beauty the body we’ve been craving.
Paula Shoyer’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake
15.
Don’t tell your Italian grandmother, but you actually can make delicious risotto with a combination of red lentils and quinoa.
16.
Jammy soft-boiled egg, tangy goat cheese, zesty orange, and juice strawberries come together for the quinoa salad of the summer.
Strawberry and Quinoa Salad with Tarragon, Soft Goat’s Cheese and Poached Egg
17.
For years, I gave quinoa an unfair rap for being bland and uninspiring. Recipes like this one, which features a fragrant mix of red curry paste and coconut water, make it so much more interesting. “The quinoa will be infused with bold, bright flavor and stained a beautiful red from the curry paste, and by using coconut water versus coconut milk, it’ll be light and fluffy,” explains recipe developer EmilyC.
What’s your favorite way to cook with quinoa? Let us know in the comments below!
FAQs
Easy Ways to Incorporate Quinoa Into Your Diet
- Add some, cooked and cooled, to your favorite cookie dough. ...
- I love adding a few tablespoons of cooked quinoa to any tart or pizza dough I'm making.
- Sprinkle cooked quinoa into your favorite potato salad, green salad, egg salad, or even macaroni salad.
Make ahead: The salad can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How many cups of quinoa per person? ›
Quinoa Serving Size
The recommended portion per person is ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa or ¾ cup of cooked quinoa if served as a side dish. If you need to make 2 cups of cooked quinoa for a recipe, cook ⅔ cup of dry quinoa with 1 cup of water.
How much bigger does quinoa get when cooked? ›
Before you begin cooking, you need to figure out how much cooked quinoa you want to end up with. Quinoa increases three times in size when cooked, so if you want to end up with 3 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 1 cup of dry quinoa. If you want 2 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 2/3 cup of dry quinoa, etc.
How does quinoa burn belly fat? ›
How Quinoa Helps In Weight Loss? Rich dietary fibre and protein increase metabolism, and that makes quinoa good for weight loss. Cooked Quinoa contains five grams of dietary fibre per cup. Eating high fibre foods is often the missing piece when a person is trying to shed weight.
Is quinoa actually better for you than rice? ›
Quinoa is rich in both fiber and protein, contains a much higher amount of other nutrients, and has a similar fluffy texture to the rice. A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 g more fiber than white rice. Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice.
Is it okay to eat quinoa salad everyday? ›
You can eat one-two cups of cooked quinoa in a day. You should avoid eating it if you experience stomachache, itchiness or vomiting after consuming it. A study by Harvard Public School of Health has reported that eating a bowl of quinoa daily is healthy and without any side effects.
What can you add to quinoa? ›
If you're serving it as a simple side, season it first. At the very least, toss it with salt, pepper, lemon or lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. To kick it up another notch, stir in chopped herbs, minced garlic, toasted nuts, or crumbled feta cheese, or use it in one of the quinoa recipes below!
What to eat with quinoa? ›
Quinoa's got the carbs covered, so you'll likely want to add some additional protein (eggs, lentils, beans, tofu, chicken), a fat (olive oil, nuts, butter, cheese), and, ideally, some kind of fruit or vegetable (broccoli, berries, squash, spinach).
What color quinoa is best? ›
White, red, or black? They're pretty much all the same nutritionally—so go with what tastes best to you, says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, owner of Nutrition Starring You, LCC. White quinoa is the least bitter of the three, while red and black have a chewier texture that holds up better in cold dishes like salads.
Quinoa has a glycemic index of around 53, meaning it won't cause as dramatic a spike in blood sugar. This is because it contains fiber and protein, both of which slow the digestion process. Most grains don't have all the amino acids needed to make a protein.
How do you know when quinoa is done? ›
Your quinoa should smell nutty and be very easy to fluff with the tines of a fork—if there's still water at the bottom of the saucepan, give it a little more time on the heat, uncovered. You can use that fluffy, perfectly cooked quinoa immediately in hot dishes or wait for it to cool to toss into veggie-filled salads.
How much does 1 cup of quinoa make? ›
One cup dry quinoa yields about three cups cooked quinoa.
What happens if you over boil quinoa? ›
Mistake 3: You overcook it.
You want to remove the lid from your pan and let the quinoa continue to cook in the residual heat so that it can absorb the liquid, rather than overcooking and sacrificing the quinoa's texture, rendering it mushy and flavorless.
How much does 1 cup of quinoa produce? ›
While cooking, quinoa expands by about 3 times. So, 1 cup of dry will yield about 3 cups of cooked quinoa. 1/2 cup of dry will yield 1 1/2 cups cooked etc. If you need a certain amount of cooked quinoa for a recipe, divide that number by 3 and that's approximately how much dry quinoa you will want to cook.
Should you eat quinoa raw or cooked? ›
Quinoa can be eaten raw or cooked, but it is most often eaten cooked. Quinoa is frequently used as a substitution for rice because it also takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with. Salads, tacos, and skillet dishes often incorporate quinoa.
Is quinoa better for you than rice or pasta? ›
Quinoa not only has more protein and minerals than pasta, couscous, or rice, but it also has a more favorable glycemic index. Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food can make your blood sugar rise and it's an important metric for diabetics. The lower the number, the less a food will raise blood sugar.
How to cook quinoa for best digestion? ›
*Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Rinse quinoa thoroughly then add to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa).
Is it OK to eat quinoa everyday? ›
You can eat one-two cups of cooked quinoa in a day. You should avoid eating it if you experience stomachache, itchiness or vomiting after consuming it. A study by Harvard Public School of Health has reported that eating a bowl of quinoa daily is healthy and without any side effects.
