How do I cook couscous and other quick grains?

Couscous, bulgur wheat and quinoa — the methods, ratios and the seasoning step that makes them worth eating.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Couscous needs equal volumes of couscous and boiling liquid, covered for five minutes, then forked through. Bulgur is similar but needs slightly more liquid and longer. Quinoa is cooked like rice and must be rinsed first, or it tastes bitter.

These three get lumped together as quick grains and each behaves differently. Couscous is not really a grain at all — it is tiny pasta, which is why it only needs soaking. Getting the method right per grain is the difference between a good side dish and a bowl of damp grit.

What you'll need

Couscous, bulgur or quinoa
Stock or water
Bowl with a lid or a plate
Fork
Olive oil and lemon (optional)

Step by step

For couscous, use equal volumes of couscous and boiling liquid.Stock rather than water makes a substantial difference — couscous has very little flavour of its own.
Pour the boiling liquid over, stir once, cover and leave five minutes.No heat needed. It is soaking rather than cooking.
Fork it through to separate the grains, adding a little oil or butter.Forking rather than stirring keeps it fluffy. The fat stops it clumping.
For bulgur wheat, use about one part bulgur to one and a half parts boiling liquid.Cover and leave 15–20 minutes, or simmer for 10. Coarser grades need longer.
For quinoa, rinse thoroughly in a sieve first.The natural coating is bitter. This step is not optional and is the most common reason people dislike quinoa.
Cook quinoa like rice: one part quinoa to two parts liquid, simmered covered for 15 minutes.Then rest off the heat for five minutes, covered.
Season all of them properly at the end.Salt, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of herbs. Unseasoned, all three are dull.
Serve warm or use cold in a salad.All three work cold, and all three benefit from dressing while still warm so they absorb it.

Tips

Dressing grains while they are still warm makes a real difference — they absorb the dressing rather than sitting in it.
Toasting bulgur or quinoa in a dry pan for a minute before adding liquid adds a nutty depth.
Couscous is the fastest side dish there is, but it needs stock and seasoning to be worth eating.

Common mistakes

Not rinsing quinoa — The natural saponin coating is bitter and soapy. Rinsing takes thirty seconds.
Cooking couscous over heat — It only needs soaking in boiling liquid. Heating it turns it to paste.
Using water and no seasoning — All three grains are bland on their own. Stock, salt, oil and acid are what make them good.

Questions people ask

Do I need to cook couscous?

No. Pour an equal volume of boiling stock over it, cover for five minutes and fork it through. It is tiny pasta and only needs rehydrating.

Why does my quinoa taste bitter?

It was not rinsed. Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that tastes bitter and soapy, and rinsing it in a sieve removes it.