Techniques › Vegetables, grains and beans
Cooking whole grains: quinoa, farro, barley
Beginner Vegetables, grains and beans
Simmering whole grains until tender, either in a measured amount of water or in plenty of water like pasta.
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How do you do it?
- Rinse quinoa well in a fine strainer, then simmer 1 cup in 1 3/4 to 2 cups water, covered, about 15 minutes; rest 5 minutes.
- For farro and barley, boil in a big pot of salted water like pasta and drain when tender but chewy.
- Expect pearled farro or barley in about 20-35 minutes; whole or hulled grains can take 45-60 minutes or more.
- Taste a few grains to judge, then spread on a tray to cool if using them in salads.
Why does it work?
Each grain is starch wrapped in bran. Water has to get through that bran before the starch can absorb it and soften, which is why whole and hulled grains take longer than pearled ones, which have some bran polished off. The pasta method makes timing forgiving because the grains never run dry. Quinoa has a bitter, soapy coating called saponin that rinsing removes.
What are the common mistakes?
- Skipping the quinoa rinse — bitter, soapy-tasting grains.
- Assuming every farro cooks the same — package type changes the time by half an hour.
- Leaving cooked grains in a hot heap — they keep steaming and turn mushy.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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