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Quinoa: the Ancient Grain
Quinoa, referred to as the chisaya mama or “mother of all grains” by ancient Incan societies, is the heavenly little grain-like plant that has become the center of my gluten-free diet. Although most think that quinoa is a grain, it’s actually a seed and is the same family as beets and spinach!
Quinoa hails from the Peruvian Andes where it was loved and cherished by the Incas over 5,000 years ago. The crop was sacred and even considered the “gold” of their society. When the Spanish arrived, everything changed. They looked down on quinoa as “the Indian’s food” and suppressed the cultivation of the crop. It has been shown that the conquerors actually forbid the planting of quinoa and forced the Inca to grow wheat instead.
But that’s all ancient history. Quinoa has overcome the obstacles and made its way onto thousands of plates across the world. Although it may not be mainstream yet, quinoa’s popularity is growing, and more and more people are realizing the amazingness it brings to life.
How amazing you may ask? Well, let me begin by saying that we all know about the list of amazing “superfoods” that all men and women must eat to stay strong, healthy, and full of life. List toppers are usually blueberries, raw almonds, eggs and broccoli. True, each of these foods is packed with nutrients and is incredibly healthy, but what many people don’t realize is that quinoa outranks many of these champions.
Quinoa Superpowers
Quinoa is insanely healthy. Not only is quinoa gluten-free, but it is full of protein, fiber and other fabulous nutrients. Quinoa has all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete vegetable protein. Quinoa is easy to digest and for vegetarians and vegans, it is a perfect alternative to animal protein.
Quinoa is also a complex carbohydrate meaning that it digests gradually, giving the body time to absorb the nutrients and does not quickly convert the food to sugar and fat. This alone, makes quinoa great for low-carbo dieters. Now I am not one to diet, so we’re not focusing this post on how quinoa can help you lose weight. We’re talking about how to integrate this superfood to help you live a healthier and happier life.
For the folks leading an active lifestyle, you could hardly find a better food than quinoa. Complex carbohydrates like quinoa keep you feeling full longer and because they digest fairly slowly they provide energy and endurance for your hard working muscles. The high protein content of quinoa also makes it a superior muscle-building supplement.
Although quinoa is not technically a grain, it has many grain-like properties and acts as many other whole grains do. The high level of magnesium found in quinoa helps lower blood pressure and the manganese and copper eliminate toxins through their antioxidant powers. Iron is also a key component of quinoa and is critical to human health. It promotes the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen from your lungs to all your tissues. Consuming foods that are rich in iron is incredibly important and an essential piece to living a healthy lifestyle.
The list of health benefits that quinoa provides goes on and on. Just know that quinoa is one of the healthiest, delicious, most amazing foods out there, and is something we should all incorporate into our diets. Here is a breakdown of quinoa’s stellar nutritional profile.
Saponins
Quinoa has an incredibly bitter tasting coating around the seeds in its natural state. Although the coating is beneficial during the growth process because wards off birds and other insects, it makes quinoa unpalatable for us humans. Another downside is that the saponins are slightly toxic and act as a natural laxative. I know, not very appealing. Luckily for us, most quinoa sold commercially in the United States (and abroad), has been rinsed and processed to remove the saponins.
If your quinoa has not been pre-rinsed, the first step is to remove this coating. To do so, simply place your quinoa in a fine strainer or cheesecloth and rinse it under running water for a few minutes. An alternative, although it takes much longer, is to soak your quinoa for a few hours, change the water and soak it again and then drain the water out of the bowl.
Cooking Quinoa
There are many schools of thought about the best way to cook quinoa. Some say stovetop, some say rice cooker, some say strainer, some even say slow cooker. I like to keep it old school and basic and I always use the stove top.
When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy, with a slightly nutty flavor. It can be used in place of rice, couscous, tabouleh and even oatmeal. Quinoa is easy to prepare and cooks faster than many other grains.
Stovetop Cooking
Like rice, quinoa is very easy to cook on the stove. Simply bring two cups of water to boil with one cup of quinoa, covering and letting it simmer for 8 – 12 minutes. The quinoa is done cooking when the water has been absorbed and the germ has separated from the seed.
This is my favorite method of cooking. It feels fail safe and is easy to monitor as you are preparing the rest of your meal. I have never over cooked or burned it on the stove and the quinoa cooks so quickly that I find it easier to time with the rest of my cooking.
Rice Cookers
When cooking quinoa in a rice cooker, you treat it exactly as you would white rice. Add two cups of water of water and one cup of quinoa to your cooker and turn it on. The rice cooker should automatically turn off or switch to the “warming” setting when the water has been absorbed.
I will say that when using a rice cooker, you should carefully monitor how the quinoa is cooking as it gets close to being done. I have over cooked it before and had the quinoa stick and burn to the bottom of pan.
Boil & Drain
Another way to prepare quinoa is like you would pasta. Cook the quinoa in twice as much water as you would using a simmer method and drain after the quinoa looks done. Watch for the separation between the germ and the seed to signify that it’s ready to be drained. Drain the cooked quinoa in a fine strainer or cheesecloth. This is a great method to remove any remaining saponin coating.
Slow Cooker
Quinoa can be added to soup, stew, chili or casserole. Really any recipe that you would integrate pasta or rice, you can use quinoa. When cooking quinoa in a slower cooker, make sure you have enough liquid to support the cooking process. For example, 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of uncooked quinoa. Add your quinoa half way through the cooking process and let it simmer away.
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Thank you Alyssa for sharing the quinoa recipes. I too, am now G.F. and it has been challenging to find quinoa recipes. Thank you so much for your great quinoa recipes.
Esther
Thank you for stopping by Esther! I’m so happy you enjoy my recipes
Hi, I just discovered your website! I really want to try quinoa. Question, how will I know if the quinoa I purchase has been pre-rinsed or not?
Typically most quinoa sold commercially in the US has been pre-rinsed. If you buy it in a bag (which I don’t because I can buy it in bulk) it should say on the packaging
Can you use raw quinoa in a green smoothie? I add soaked steel-cut oats to my green smoothies — makes it thicker, but very good. I use 1/4 cup as that is the single serving. I also put in 2 tbsp or nuts or 1 tbsp of seeds. Would I use quinoa as an alternate to the oats, or as an alternate to the seeds. Would I need to soak the quinoa? If so, for how long.
My daughter just sent me some organic quinoa so I’m anxious to start using it.
Thanks.
Hi Marlene,
Thanks for the note! I think you could absolutely use quinoa as an alternative to the oats in your smoothies. I would suggest soaking them first, since the uncooked quinoa is quite hard, and then blending them into your smoothie. Personally, I would not use them in place of nuts and seeds since seeds add such tremendous flavor and nutritional value to smoothies. Quinoa is higher in protein than oats, which is also great.
Please let me know how it turns out for you!!
xo Alyssa
Thanks for the quick reply. I’ve already started oats soaking for today’s smoothie, but I’ll soak some quinoa tomorrow and try it out and definitely let you know.
Alyysa,
I wish you would stop, you always make me so hungry. Just playing around. I share the same kind of passion for food as you do. I love to eat healthy, delicious food. I first discovered Quinoa in a superfood stay young book. When I did a little internet research, I stumbled upon you and ever since then I really like your style. You even make me laugh a little, in a good way. I live down here in San Antonio TX. Do you do any mexican cooking?
Hi Carlos,
Thanks for your nice note!I love that you enjoy my recipes, and that’s part of the point of me posting, to make you hungry
Quinoa is amazing and I love it so much! I do experiment with Mexican cooking (if you look in my Recipe Index > International > Mexican – you will see all my Mexican inspired dishes) and quinoa is a great substitute for rice. In fact, I might be moving to Austin soon, so I’m sure I will get even more inspired to share more Mexican dishes.
Have a happy Friday!
I don’t understand your post about cooking quinoa in the slow cooker. You put the quinoa in at the halfway point of cooking? If the quinoa isn’t already cooking, what is?
So sorry for the confusion with this! This part of the post is referring to how you can cook quinoa when you add it to a soup or stew (which is cooking in a slow cooker). I recommend adding it to the soup halfway through the cooking process – so if your soups cooks in the crock pot for 6 hours, add the quinoa at the 3 hour mark. You just need to make sure the soup has enough liquid to have a 1:2 ratio. If you’re adding 1/2 cup of quinoa to the soup, just make sure there is AT LEAST a cup of liquid/water/broth in the soup to cook the quinoa. Does that make sense? I have never tried to cook quinoa by itself in a slow cooker, so can’t vouch if that would work out or not. Please let me know if you have any other questions!!
xoxo Alyssa
Hi Alyysa,
I have found your sight very interesting; was wondering how I go about making my own Quinoa flour?Look forward to trying the muffins:) yum!
Hi Tracey!
Making your own quinoa flour is surprising easy actually. All you have to do is grind the grains in a coffee grinder or high powered blender. I would suggest toasting the quinoa beforehand (in a pan over medium heat), so that the flavor is less bitter. Now, I must warn you, you likely won’t get the same exact texture as you would from buying commercially ground quinoa flour, but I’ve cooked and baked with my own and it’s worked for me.
Hopefully this helps!
xx Alyssa
Thanks Alyssa! I will give it a shot!
Hi Alyssa,
The flour turned out great; and the banana muffins are delicious!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your help and receipts.
This is a whole new world of cooking; enjoy it a lot! Thanks
Hi! Thanks so much for this info, I’m completely new to quinoa so this helps a lot! Say I cook 1 cup of quinoa (which yields 3 cups), and I’m just serving myself so I have leftovers, and I put it in the fridge (in the original pot or a bowl with saran wrap, etc.). What is the best way to reheat it when I’m ready to eat it again?
Hi again!! Okay so I’ve honestly found that a great way to reheat quinoa is just in the microwave. But I usually am cooking it with something warm like a stir fry and toss it in at the end. That heats it up nicely. You can also use your leftover quinoa in baked goods or thrown into some yogurt for a quick breakfast or snack. I have a bunch of recipes that use leftover quinoa, so take a look and please let me know if you have any other questions along the way!! Yippee for quinoa
Alyssa-You ARE the queen in my eyes. I just recently discovered quinoa, and it’s wonderful taste and texture. Now I definitely am a big fan and groupie of you and your blog. I also going GF so this will make my breakfasts so much easier and tastier. Thanks for your addition of MY world. God’s blessings-Marnie
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I would definitely NOT reheat or cook anything in a microwave! It kills all the nutrients. Here is just one source to check out the dangers of microwave cooking.
http://www.health-science.com/microwave_hazards.html
Hi Donna – thanks so much for sharing this information with the rest of our readers! I’m sure many of them will find it very helpful! xx Alyssa
Hi Alyssa,
To save time, I want to cook my quinoa in bulk and store it in the fridge. Any tips on containers/storage advice/how long you can keep it?
Thanks so much! I love your pinterest wall and your blog
-Dana
Hi Dana -
Thanks for stopping by! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the site!
I always cook my quinoa in bulk, so I highly recommend it
I usually store mine just in a plastic tupperware and use it for about 5 – 6 days. Another thing you can try is actually separating it into batches and freezing part of it. Just take it out of the freezer the day before and let it thaw and you’ll be ready to go! It keeps in the freezer for months, but it never lasts that long for me 
xx Alyssa
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Hey I like your site, pretty cool.
Not sure if you already do this, but once I’ve cook my Quinoa I put 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil (for about 1 cup of Quinoa), and let it sit for around 10mins while covered. Gives it a nice kick.
Cheers, Owen
Thanks so much for the tip Owen! I haven’t tried adding coconut oil after it’s done cooking, but it sounds delicious. I’m in love with coconut oil (and quinoa!) and couldn’t imagine a better combo. Will definitely give this a try!
You referenced quinoa crispies in your chocolate peanut bars you made. where would find something like that or is that something you made? I am trying to find low carb alternative desserts for my diabetic husband and it is not easy. I thought I might try a couple of your recipes and see what he thinks and those bars look like something he might go for. Thanks for the info in advance.
Hi Donna – quinoa crispies are something you’ll need to purchase. I like Edison Grainery’s quinoa crispies. Here’s the link: http://edisongrainery.com/store/grains/38-quinoa-crispies-cereal.html
Enjoy!
How do I make toasted quinoa flour or do I buy it?
Toasted quinoa flour is actually very easy to make at home. You simply toast the regular quinoa flour either on the stove top in a dry skillet until it turns golden brown, or in the oven on cookie trays at 200 degrees for about 2 hours, also until golden brown.
I’ve been making steel cut oats for breakfast for years, but am considering switching to quinoa. Do you have any information on which one might be better? Thanks
They’re different products. Both contain good amounts of fiber, I believe they’re similar caloric wise, but I would venture a guess to say that quinoa likely has a higher protein content. I would suggest just giving quinoa a try, and see how you feel for the day. If it keeps you full, gives you energy, etc. Just see how your body responds. It might be a nice thing to give it a little bit of variety
Can I just eat my organic Quinoa “Milled” and then add it to my smoothies and salads or should it always be soaked or cooked first?
If yes to Milling..How much of Milled should? A TSP or TBS???
Thank you.
Hi there – I sent you an email last night, hope that was what you were looking for. You can mill as much as you would want, it’s really up to you. I would mill a bunch at a time so I could use the flour for baked goods! Enjoy
Yes. Thank you. You are very fast!! Today I’m Toasting my Quinoa first then milling after it cools. I also found it loses many calories if it is cooked before consumption. I’m so glad I found your site
Have you Guys tried a pizza crust made of quinoa ?? It’s AMAZING! If anyone is interested in it ill try and find the link I used.
Have you ever looked into how the globalization of this food is affecting the livelihoods of the people who grow it? Quinoa is indeed an amazing grain for so many reasons, but creating markets for it here (the United States) and other developed nations is not only making it unaffordable for the people who have survived on it as a staple for centuries; the practices that must be adopted to produce enough of it to satisfy our privileged appetites is severely disrupting the Andean agroecosystem. If you’re concerned about hunger on a global scale (not just poor malnourished children in the U.S.) and environmental sustainability, I strongly urge you to read about the quinoa industry and engage with these issues on your blog.
People often add too much salt in their recipes without realizing it until it’s too late, but do not worry. There is a way to fix this! Add two peeled and chopped raw potatoes to the dish, and then allow it to simmer for around 15 minutes. The potatoes help absorb the extra salt. For a dish that is tomato-based, just put a few more tomatoes in and let them cook until they’re tender. These will dilute the extra salt…*
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Hello Alyssa,
Is it necessary to let quinoa cool off and fluff before adding it to a recipe? I just sautéed a variety of veggies and I added the cooked quinoa while it wa still warm. Is it only necessary to cool off and fluff when adding to a cold salad? Help?
Hi Aimee! It’s not totally necessary to cool it off, especially with a warm dish. However I have noticed that when you add warm quinoa to a dish that you’re cooking, like a stir fry or something like that, it can become over cooked fairly quickly. I suggest if you’re going to do that, just add it at the very very end of your prep. With a cold salad on the other hand, I would definitely suggest cooling it first
One tip is to pop your quinoa in the freezer for like 10 minutes and it will start to cool off more quickly.
Enjoy your cooking!!
xo Alyssa
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Please help! I am newly diagnosed with celiac – and purchased a bag of pearl quinoa – but I can find any recipes that will really tell me what to do with it! And everything I seem to find in contradictory! Can you give me some ideas, pointers? Thanks so much – I really hate being this “lost”!