8 Hacks Every Quinoa Obsessive Needs To Know

We love cooking with quinoa for a lot of reasons, but its versatility is high up on the list. Plain quinoa can become the base for everything from a breakfast parfait to a hearty dinner bowl. And cooking it is pretty simple. Most of the time, recipes that call for quinoa just say "cook according to instructions on box," and that will steer your right nearly always. But you don't need a box or a recipe to even cook it.

If you buy it in bulk or want to cook less or more than the package instructions call for, the basic instructions are incredibly simple. You just need to use one part quinoa to two parts water or liquid of your choice. Bring to a simmer and lower heat to low and cover, cooking until liquid is absorbed. If you started with one cup of dry quinoa, that takes around 15 minutes, though cooking times will vary based on amount of quinoa. Once the water is absorbed, fluff with a fork and serve or let cook.

If you want to get more advanced than that, there's an endless number of ways to change things up. Ahead, easy tweaks to making cooking with quinoa even better.