Quinoa is a high protein and high fiber seed that can be eaten as a breakfast cereal or in the place of rice for a pilaf. However, my favourite way to eat quinoa is as a base for a hearty Mediterranean salad. Here is everything you need to know about how to properly prepare quinoa.
What are Saponins?
Quinoa is particularly high in saponins. Saponins are a natural compound that is found in a number of plants, particularly soap berries and soap nuts
. It naturally suds up when mixed with water, for an environmentally-friendly and natural soap.
However, saponins in quinoa give it a bitter taste and can make quinoa hard to digest. Generally, quinoa has been prewashed to remove the bitter layer before being sold, however, it doesn’t completely eliminate the saponins, so soaking quinoa prior to cooking is still a really good idea.
Why You Should be Soaking Seeds, Nuts and Grains
Most grains, legumes, nuts and seeds benefit from to pre-soaking and sprouting. Soaking and sprouting turns the complex “starchy” storage carbs into easier to digest “vegetables” carbs. Here are some of the benefits of soaking and sprouting before cooking:
- It is easier on our digestive system.
- The starches are converted from carbohydrates to vegetables, and who couldn’t use more vegetables in their diet?
- The nutrient value of the food is increased by making the protein, vitamins and minerals more easily absorbed.
Even if you aren’t convinced that you ought to be soaking and sprouting all of your grains, seeds, nuts and legumes, you should try soaking quinoa because of the saponins.
PrintHow to Soak and Cook Quinoa
It is a good idea to soak quinoa prior to cooking. Soaking removes the bitter tasting saponins. It also helps to activate enzymes in the quinoa, which makes it more easily digested and nutritious.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Soaked
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For Soaking
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 2 tbsp of culture (optional, see notes)
For Cooking
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Place quinoa in a large glass bowl or measuring cup. Stir in the culture and the filtered water.
- Cover with a tea towel and leave it out on the counter to soak for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days for very bitter quinoa.
- When you are ready to cook, pour the quinoa into a fine sieve. Drain off all the fermentation liquid and rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear. This will remove the bitter saponins.
- Put the quinoa into a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes (until cooked.)
- Drain any excess liquid and fluff with a fork.
Notes
- Using a culture isn’t required for soaking quinoa, but it can help to speed things up. I recommend using something acidic like cider vinegar, sour kombucha or milk kefir whey.
- I usually cook quinoa in a rice cooker. It’s easier than keeping track of a simmering pot on the stove.
- If you want to try fermenting quinoa, then I recommend fermenting cooked quinoa. It’s a great way to get more probiotics into your diet. Try making a probiotic quinoa pudding.
Keywords: sprouted, prefermented, vegan, healthy, nutritious
Hi, thank you for the instructions. I have a question about soaking the quinoa, because I’ve read in many other places, investigating this topic, that we should avoid soaking it as saponins can leach into the seeds, that the only recommedantion is to rinse it but not soaking it.
So if soaking has a lot of benefitsfor for sprouting how does it affect this issue of saponins in te water all the night?
Thanks ahead
★★★★★
I haven’t heard of saponins going back into the quinoa from the soaking water. Quinoa is quite a firm grain, and soaking doesn’t cause them to soften quite the way it does with beans. In fact, I tried soaking quinoa in an acidic fermenting culture for several days and it didn’t seem to penetrate the seed at all. So my inclination is that the saponins wouldn’t soak into the quinoa.
Regardless, quinoa needs to soak in order to sprout. Hope that helps!
Hi, thanks for the clear instructions. Do you have any sources for the claims in this article?
I can’t find any scientific papers proving that soaking will make quinoa better to digest.
The research into whether saponins help or hinder digestion is spotty. Regardless, saponins are very bitter. Not all brands of quinoa are high in saponins as some have been well washed or polished. It just takes one mouthful to find out if you bought well-cleaned quinoa as the bitter flavour is dramatic.
Here is some more info about saponins: https://www.intechopen.com/books/application-and-characterization-of-surfactants/saponin-based-biological-active-surfactants-from-plants
Cheers!
I want to start doing this but I cant find anywhere how much fermented liquid to add…1 tablespoon or more??
Thanks the rest of your site was very clear
Thanks Lydia! The fermentation liquid is optional because simply soaking quinoa is beneficial. However, feel free to add 2 tbsp of culture. Cheers, Emillie
This works! The quinoa was fabulous; no bitterness at all!
I had to pour/strain off 1 cup of the cooking liquid at the end.
The pre-soaked quinoa just wouldn’t absorb it. Did this happen to anyone else?
★★★★★
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll test the recipe again with white quinoa as it might absorb the soaking liquid better than red quinoa.