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Almost 13 years ago, I decided to add quinoa to my diet.

Even if you don’t follow a plant-based diet, quinoa will enrich your meals. Why do I love it so much? Quinoa is rich in fiber, antioxidants, and contains all nine essential amino acids. Wow, right?

However, cooking quinoa is tricky. Since its natural flavor is slightly bitter, you need to combine it with the right ingredients to make it taste better.

I have always cooked quinoa with vegetables—peas, carrots, and broccoli, to be specific—up until…yesterday. I told my husband that I felt like making “Riz Bi Banadoura” (a famous Lebanese dish that literally means rice cooked in tomatoes), but in reality I was craving quinoa. He said, “Why don’t you replace rice with quinoa?”

And so I did. We both marvelled at how delicious it was and said we would add it to our weekly meals.

Here are three reasons you should also cook it more often:

>> It’s quick. Really. Basically, all you need is tomato sauce and quinoa.

>> It tastes like heaven. Even if you don’t like quinoa, you will after tasting this recipe. It’s juicy, fluffy, and it melts in your mouth.

>> It’s nutritious. The advantages of adding quinoa to your diet are numerous. 

Bon appétit!

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Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked white quinoa (rinsed)

600 grams of tomato sauce

1 onion, diced finely

3/4 tsp of ginger, crushed

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

A handful of vermicelli (optional)

Olive oil

3 cups of water

1 tsp of black pepper

Salt to taste

How-to:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat then add the onions and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the ginger and garlic and cook for two more minutes.

2. Add the tomato sauce and cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the quinoa, vermicelli, water, black pepper, and salt. Stir well.

4. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Taste your quinoa before serving to ensure it’s well cooked and not under-seasoned.

6. When it’s done, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes with the lid on.

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