Avoid Soggy Quinoa: Helpful Tips from Bon Appetit

It’s happened to many of us, myself included. You’re looking for a quick weeknight meal, so you roast some veggies and put a pot of quinoa on the stove. The result? A mushy, soggy, uninspired dinner.

Last week on the Bon Appetit blog, they discussed the best way to cook quinoa and why it can often get soggy. No surprise: it’s user error, and there are a few quick tips to make sure it never happens again.

1) Cook Smart: First things first: don’t overcook your quinoa! Bon Appetit recommends this simple method: Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

2) Drain: Quinoa holds lots of water so you must, must, must strain it (use a fine mesh strainer) after it’s cooked.

3) Let it Stand: Once you strain it, return the quinoa to the pot you cooked it in and let it sit, off the heat, for 15 minutes before serving. This will allow it to dry out just a touch and will result in light, fluffy quinoa every time!

A Few of Our Favorite Quinoa Recipes:
• Sweet and Crunchy Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Quinoa Salad with Spring Radishes and Greens

Related: How to Cook Quinoa