In article >,
Jarkat2002 > wrote:
>I have found a recipe for Peruvian Chicken Ragout that calls for Quinoa. I
>have never heard of this grain before (I had to google it) and don't have it in
>my pantry (yet). I'm not even sure it's considered a grain, some sites say
>yes, some say no.

If you have a Whole Foods Market or any natural food store that
sells stuff in bulk, you are likely to find it there. I like
quinoa. It has a nice mouth feel, much firmer than rice or barley.

>The recipe calls for 1/2 cup ... can I substitute barley instead? Or rice?
>Would it still be 1/2 cup and would I cook it before adding it to the soup?
>The recipe does not call for the quinoa to be precooked.

You would use it the same way you'd use rice. If you would pre-cook
rice, then you should pre-cook the quinoa. And rinse it (it has a
slightly bitter flavor on the surface) after cooking.

You could also substitute couscous.

-A