Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa Recipe

Quinoa, an ancient grain that's become trendy as of late, is a pretty versatile ingredient. It finds its way into a wide variety of recipes ranging from salads to casseroles to sweet breakfast bowls, but it can also stand alone as a side dish with just a little bit of seasoning to flavor it. In this recipe, developer Susan Olayinka says she's using a "mixture of dried herbs [that] really makes this dish." Her favorite combo is parsley, oregano, and thyme, but she adds that you may "feel free to experiment with other herbs that you enjoy."

The finished dish is something that Olayinka describes as having "a light and fluffy texture with a slightly nutty flavor ... well-seasoned with a perfect balance of herbs." She also notes that it's quite easy to make, plus she says, "It's a great way to add some extra protein and nutrients to your diet." You can also customize it to suit your meal plan, with one suggestion from Olayinka being to add "chopped nuts or dried fruit for a little bit of sweetness and crunch."

The ingredients for this seasoned quinoa are pretty simple. You'll need the quinoa, of course, as well as some butter and the aforementioned parsley, oregano, thyme, and salt for seasoning.

For a cooking medium, Olayinka says she uses chicken stock as she feels "it adds so much more flavor to the dish" than using plain water. She does say, though, that you could use chicken bouillon or vegetable stock in its place if you don't keep a supply of chicken stock in the fridge or freezer.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Once it has melted, stir in the quinoa along with the seasonings and the stock. When all of the ingredients are in the pot, stir them up so they're well-combined.

Heat the quinoa mixture until the stock comes to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot and let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. Unlike rice, where you don't touch it as it cooks, here you will be opening the lid from time to time to stir the quinoa.

When the quinoa is cooked, fluff it up with a fork before you scoop it out of the pot. Olayinka says this cooked quinoa "goes great with just about anything," but shares that her preference is to eat it with salmon or chicken or salad. She also recommends you could "mix in some sauteed veggies for an extra dose of goodness," or, if you want to make a complete meal of it, stir in some protein like shredded cooked chicken or turkey.