The instant pot makes simple and quick work of cooking and meal prepping quinoa for dinner, side dishes and or breakfast. The result is perfectly fluffy quinoa.

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Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a edible seed that comes in various colors including black, red, yellow, and white.
Why Is Quinoa Such A Important Grain In A Vegan And Gluten-Free Diet?
Quinoa is a naturally gluten-free whole grain that is a good source of plant protein and fiber. Quinoa is safe to be eaten by people who have celiac disease and/or gluten intolerant. Unlike some plant proteins, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. One cooked cup provides about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Quinoa to Water Ratio
1 part quinoa to 2 parts water
Quinoa Serving Size
1 cup dry quinoa yields 3 cups cooked quinoa.
Do I Need to Rinse My Quinoa?
Yes, to remove bitter taste. All Quinoa has a protective coating called saponin that can give cooked quinoa a bitter taste and rinsing removes that coating and bitterness.
How Do I Rinse The Quinoa
The key to easily rinsing quinoa is using a colander or strainer with tiny holes (see above for one we use) so that quinoa doesn’t rinse down the drain.
Place 1 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh colander/strainer. Agitate the quinoa with your hand by rubbing and swishing it around while rinsing. Rinse thoroughly under cool water until it runs clear.
Storage
You have two options for storing leftover quinoa.
Either refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature before covering and chilling.
Freezing is your other option. Place in air tight container or freezer bag. Thaw frozen quinoa in the fridge and reheat in the microwave in one minute increments in microwave until heated through.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
10 Minute Instant Pot Quinoa
Equipment
- 6 to 8-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
- Fine mesh colander/strainer
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup Uncooked Quinoa
- 1 + 2/3 cups Water - about 14 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh colander or strainer with cool water and drain. Set aside.
- Lightly grease the inside of the Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add quinoa, water and salt and give a stir.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Select pressure cook button for 1 minute. It will take about 5 minutes for the pressure to build, then the countdown timer will start.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure. When the cooking time has finished, quick release the pressure.
- Fluff the quinoa and serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later
Notes
Nutrition
These nutritional figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe.
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