Not everyone has an Instant Pot so I decided to show you how to cook brown rice and quinoa on the stovetop in just 5 easy steps! The steps are:
- Soak
- Boil
- Cook
- Strain
- Rest
I walk you through each step so you too can have perfect, fluffy rice every time! Let’s get started!
Soak
When I first began my plant-based journey toward better health (to read why I made the change, click here!) I had NO idea how to cook without oil, how to make brown rice, how to read labels, how to cook mushrooms properly and I know I’m not the only one so I look forward to hearing from you how this tutorial helps you 🙂
The reason we soak the rice and quinoa is to break down some of the starches. This will prevent your rice from being gummy. It’s not the end of the world if you skip this step, but your rice won’t have as nice of a texture so I highly recommend you soak the rice and quinoa first.
Boil
Jeanine and Jack from Love and Lemons were a great help to me in getting started eating this way and I just love their recipes!! Be sure to check them out! After soaking and straining your rice and quinoa, add them to a pot of boiling water. We want to cook the rice and quinoa like we would pasta so just make sure they are covered with water. I like to use a 6-8qt pot which you can get here.
Cook
Return to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook UNCOVERED for 20-22 minutes. Depending on how soft you want your rice, you may need to cook it for up to 25minutes. I like my rice to have some crunch so I only cook mine for 20 minutes. We get our rice from Azure Standard, an organic bulk food supply store!
Strain
Once you’ve cooked the rice and quinoa for 20 minutes you’ll notice a great deal of the water has been absorbed but we will still need to strain the excess off. Carefully strain the mixture and return it to the pot. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes and I’ll explain the importance of that next!
Rest
As difficult as it can be when you’re hungry or in a hurry, allowing the rice and quinoa to rest will allow the rice to be less clumpy and will give it more distinction. I read through this article and it had a lot of really great points to consider if your rice doesn’t turn out the way you want it so I recommend you check it out!
Conclusion
In summary, cooking rice and quinoa on the stovetop could not be simpler! If you follow the 5 easy steps of Soak, Boil, Cook, Strain, and Rest, you’ll have perfect, fluffy rice every time! Let me know in the comments how you cook your rice and also leave me your favorite rice dish! Until next time, I’ll see you in the kitchen!
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