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As of March 31, 2025, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) will remove the Healthy Recipes collection from MedlinePlus. You can still find many of these recipes at Delicious Heart Healthy Eating from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and at Food Hero, a USDA-supported initiative with Oregon State University Extension Service and the Oregon Department of Human Services.

For more on healthy eating, visit the MedlinePlus Nutrition health topic.

URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/recipes/stovetop-quinoa/

Stovetop Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (if not pre-rinsed, rinse well using a fine-mesh strainer)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and salt, if desired, and return the mixture to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 12 minutes.
  4. Turn off heat and let stand until water is absorbed and quinoa has the texture you like, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

  • For more flavor, cook with broth or milk instead of water.
  • For a roasted flavor, toast the grains in the saucepan. Stir the grains around at medium heat for a few minutes before adding liquid.
  • Topping ideas: fresh, frozen or dried fruit; milk or yogurt; chopped nuts or seeds; cinnamon or other spices. Savory toppings include vegetables and cheese.
  • Add to soups, grain bowls or grain salads.
  • No strainer? Use a clean coffee filter.

Find more delicious recipes from FoodHero.org

Food Hero Be A Food Hero Cookbook

Recipes that make it to Food Hero have had a long journey getting there. Most of the recipes have been used by our nutrition educators in the field and then submitted to the Food Hero team to be considered for the website. Recipes have the criteria found at this link: https://foodhero.org/recipe-criteria.