Breakfast Quinoa with Berries
Quinoa is coated in saponins, the plant's own defence against birds, and they are the soapy bitterness behind every "I don't like quinoa". A minute under running water removes them completely. After that it is the quickest porridge there is: twenty minutes, and ten grams of protein in the bowl.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 300 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Plant milk makes it vegan; swap the honey for maple syrup or a very ripe mashed banana.
Makes: 4 bowls
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Rinse the quinoa
Put it in a fine sieve and rinse under cold water for a minute, rubbing it with your hand. A light foam appears at first — those are the saponins; wash until it stops.
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Step 2: Dry-toast it
Warm the damp quinoa in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes, until it smells nutty. The step is optional, but it is what turns the flavour from grassy to toasted.
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Step 3: Cook in milk and water
Add the milk, water and salt, bring to the boil and simmer covered over low heat for 15 minutes. The water keeps the milk from catching on the base.
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Step 4: Look for the spirals
Quinoa is done when each grain has released a fine white curl — its germ. If you cannot see them yet, give it another 3–4 minutes.
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Step 5: Finish with honey and berries
Off the heat, stir in the honey and cinnamon and cover for 5 minutes. Serve topped with berries and almonds. Honey goes into a pan off the heat: boiled, it loses its scent.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Rinse even quinoa labelled pre-washed: factory processing removes most of the saponins but not all, and what is left is enough to taste.
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Tip
It thickens as it stands. If you are cooking a few days' worth, use 500 ml of liquid and loosen each portion with milk before serving.
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Swap
Plant milk makes it vegan; swap the honey for maple syrup or a very ripe mashed banana.
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Storage
Three days in the fridge. Cold quinoa with yoghurt and berries is breakfast with no reheating at all, much like overnight oats.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 300 kcal | 1,200 kcal |
| Protein | 10 g | 40 g |
| Fat | 8 g | 32 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g | 184 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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