• Know how

Think you hate quinoa? This easy trick will make it taste delicious

The secret to tasty, fluffy quinoa is all in the cooking – here’s how to do it.

• June 13, 2023
• Jill Dupleix

• Recipe collection
• Salad

10+ killer quinoa recipes

Quinoa is light, nutty, softly chewy, and a complete source of plant protein. Add it to your home cooking with these brilliant recipes.

• Seafood

Steamed fish with quinoa, spinach and basil (for Thermomix)

This healthy, tasty, gluten-free dinner is so easy in the Thermomix, using the steamer basket and Varoma steaming compartment to create a layered complete meal. Iridescent basil oil, gently warmed in the Thermomix, lifts this dish with colour and flavour. I've used dory fillet, but you can also use a small whole fish or other preferred fillets such as salmon or flathead.

• < 30 mins
• Dani Valent

• Salad

Rainbow chard and quinoa salad with sultanas, sunflower seeds and ricotta

Common silverbeet is also known as chard or Swiss chard, and although the leaves are always green, the stalks come in a range of bright colours, which are typically combined and sold as rainbow chard. Although I like to keep a little crunch in much that is green or leafy, I really enjoy chard braised until it is very tender.

• < 30 mins
• Karen Martini

• Salad

Quinoa, red rice and black lentil salad with spicy cauliflower

A striking and substantial main course salad.

• 1-2 hrs
• Caroline Velik

• Salad

Quinoa salad with crispy roast pumpkin and hazelnuts

Quinoa seeds are easy to cook and prepare. Similar to rice, they require only quick, gentle cooking with water. Quinoa seeds can be used to make porridge, or savoury salads and stews. They are fairly plain tasting, so are best combined with sharp flavours such as lemon juice or zest, or a little vinegar and oil.

• < 30 mins
• Arabella Forge

• Salad

Hellenic Republic’s Cypriot grain salad

A delicious nutty, grainy salad. Freekah is a nutritious grain made from roasted green wheat grains. You can substitute whole wheat, cracked wheat or quinoa.

• < 30 mins
• Travis McAuley

• Salad

Leftover lamb and quinoa salad

Turn my butterflied harissa lamb and white bean puree into a simple salad.

• < 30 mins
• Katrina Meynink

• Cupcakes & muffins

Lunchbox recipes: Quinoa tots

Though delicious straight out of the oven, these taste surprisingly great cold, so make for lunch box staples – especially when teamed with a couple of cherry tomatoes and various other vegie sticks. It's always best to start this recipe the night before, so that the quinoa has enough time to sprout. This means a better texture and a more nutritious end result. If you're low on time, rinse the seeds well in cold water before following the instructions on the packet.

• 1-2 hrs
• Alice Zaslavsky

• Peas

Mixed grain dhal recipe

Dhal is simple to make and tastes even better the day after, so it makes a convenient, healthy, quick-reheat dinner for busy schedules. This version also contains a good variety of gluten-free grains, and the spice factor is medium so it's pretty approachable. We like to make the spice blend in bulk as it can be used in lots of dishes. You can use vegetable or chicken stock.

• 30 mins - 1 hr
• Darren Robertson and Mark LaBrooy