If you – like me – want to get more plant-based protein and fibre into your diet but large quantities of beans, lentils and other legumes / pulses can trigger digestive symptoms for you; quinoa (a pseudo-seed) is going to be your best friend. But too many people are eating sad, wet, tasteless quinoa. This recipe is how I made quinoa a food I eat and enjoy several times a week…

4 ESSENTIAL TIPS

1. Use tricolour quinoa

For me, a blend of red, black and white quinoa produces the best texture and flavour. For me, white quinoa is less firm, it doesn’t have as much bite and the flavour seems a little less complex to me (though I do like it as a more neutral rice replacement). Some people like to pre-soak their quinoa, though I’ve never found it makes much difference, however you should give the quinoa a good rinse before use (I use a sieve since the quinoa is very fine).

2. Toast in oil before adding water and season generously

Before you add water to your quinoa for its initial boil, I recommend toasting it in oil and seasoning it very well before adding in any water; this helps release more flavour. Feel free to add stock rather than water or dried herbs and spices at this stage, but I tend to leave those flavours out since I make a big batch of this quinoa at the start of the week and add it to various types of dishes so don’t like to tie the flavouring to any particular cuisine.

3. Use a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 1.5 parts water

If using tricolour quinoa, 1 part quinoa to 1.5 parts water has been the perfect ratio for me (I actually recommend reducing slightly to 1 part quinoa to 1.25 parts water if you’re using only light quinoa). It ensures the quinoa absorbs all of the water without leaving it soggy or overly saturated.

4. Bake the quinoa in the oven to release more nutty flavour, improve texture and remove excess water

Honestly, you can just leave it there, but the final step is what takes this quinoa to the next level, for me! And usually I’m roasting some veggies in the oven to go with my quinoa so it isn’t really any extra time or effort for me. I take a large sheet pan, line it with parchment paper and spread the quinoa over it, so it’s not piled up on itself, give it a little extra seasoning and oil, then pop it in the oven to remove any excess moisture, firm up the texture and release even more nutty aromas.

MEAL IDEA

You can enjoy this quinoa hot or cold, use it in place of rice or as a high-fibre addition to your favourite salads. If you do a batch of this at the start of the week, it’s so quick and easy to grab this and add it to different dishes throughout the week.

For this meal idea, I used:

Quinoa

Cumin-roasted sweet potato chunks

Toasted pumpkin seeds

Roasted pecans

White beans roasted in rose harissa paste

Finely sliced red cabbage

Chopped kale massaged with seasoning and olive oil

Pomegranate seeds

Dates

Lemon juice and olive oil for dressing

Tahini stirred in with water and yoghurt to make a saucy dip

Let me know if you try this method of cooking quinoa!

See the method here:

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